Article #43814

Families have been left in despair after 39 pupils and seven teachers were kidnapped from classrooms in Oyo state, a part of the country previously considered relatively peaceful

Sitting on a wooden bench under the tree near her home, Aduke Balogun’s gaze is fixed on the road. Her eyes are red from crying and a lack of sleep. Last month her daughter, Kehinde Kasosara, was forcefully abducted from school and has not been seen since.

Kaosara, who is seven years old, was taken from the Baptist nursery and primary across the street from their home. The armed men, wearing military camouflage and face masks, rode into the sleepy town of Yawota in Oyo state, south-west Nigeria, on motorcycles.