Eight children are still missing after gunmen raided an unregistered orphanage in Nigeria\u2019s north-central Kogi State and kidnapped 23, authorities have said.<\/p>\n
Kogi\u2019s information commissioner Kingsley Fanwo said 15 children were rescued due to the \u201cprompt and coordinated response\u201d of security agencies.<\/p>\n
Sunday\u2019s attack also saw the owner of the facility taken, he added.<\/p>\n
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but security sources say the state has a functional Boko Haram cell, and that there have been several violent attacks in the area.<\/p>\n
Nigeria is also grappling with a kidnap crisis in many parts of the country, with criminal gangs abducting people for ransoms. The government has made paying ransoms illegal but this has not prevented the kidnappings.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government remains fully committed to ensuring the rescue of all the victims,\u201d Fanwo said.<\/p>\n
His statement on Monday also highlighted that the orphanage was \u201coperating illegally\u201d in a \u201cbushy environment\u201d without the knowledge of relevant authorities.<\/p>\n
Fanwo urged operators of orphanages, schools, and similar institutions to always engage appropriately with the appropriate government agencies \u201cespecially in the current security climate\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mass kidnappings in schools are not uncommon in Nigeria, especially in the country\u2019s northern region which is currently plagued by insecurity. This is the first time an orphanage has been targeted.<\/p>\n