Abduction of 42 children reported in southeastern Nigeria

On May 16, 2026, armed militants abducted 42 children in a southeastern province of Nigeria, a region known for being a long-standing stronghold of Boko Haram. According to reports, 32 children were taken from primary and secondary schools during classes, while 10 others were kidnapped from their homes nearby. No organization has claimed responsibility for the act, though officials noted the attack bears the hallmarks of Boko Haram. This incident follows a similar mass abduction of approximately 300 girls in the same region in 2014. Simultaneously, US President Trump announced that American and Nigerian forces conducted a joint operation in the same state, resulting in the death of the second-in-command of the Islamic State. The proximity of the military operation to the kidnapping has drawn international attention. The Nigerian authorities have not yet confirmed a direct link between the two events. Further investigations are underway to determine the perpetrators and locate the missing children.