LOKOJA, KOGI STATE — By Prime Brief Media
The desperate search for eight children abducted from an unregistered orphanage and school in the Zariagi area of Lokoja, Kogi State, entered its second day on Tuesday, with security operatives combing forested areas and pursuing leads in hopes of bringing the remaining victims home safely.
The attack, which occurred late Sunday, April 26, 2026, saw gunmen storm the Dahallukitab Group of Schools—a facility that doubled as an orphanage—and seize 23 children along with the wife of the school's proprietor. According to the Kogi State Government, the swift deployment of police and other security personnel following distress calls led to the rescue of 15 of the abducted pupils within hours of the attack.
However, eight children and the proprietor's wife remain unaccounted for as of Tuesday morning. Security agencies have not disclosed operational details, citing the sensitivity of ongoing efforts to track down the kidnappers and secure the safe release of the remaining victims.
The Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, in a statement on Monday, provided a crucial context that has shifted the focus of public discourse from the attack itself to the regulatory failures that made it possible. He revealed that the facility had been operating entirely outside the supervision of state authorities.
"The facility was operating illegally in a remote, bushy environment without registration with the State Government and without the knowledge of relevant authorities and security agencies," Fanwo stated. "While the Government remains fully committed to ensuring the rescue of all victims, it is important to stress that the operation of orphanages, schools, and similar institutions in isolated and vulnerable locations, without proper registration and notification to relevant authorities, poses serious security risks, especially in the current security climate."
This revelation has ignited a debate about the regulation of children's homes and private schools, particularly those operating in rural and peri-urban areas with limited security coverage. The Zariagi area, located along the Lokoja-Abuja highway corridor, has seen sporadic security incidents in recent years. A facility housing dozens of vulnerable children in such a location, without security assessment or government knowledge, represents a glaring gap in child protection infrastructure.
A child rights advocate who spoke to Prime Brief Media on condition of anonymity said the incident should serve as a wake-up call for state governments across Nigeria. "How many more unregistered orphanages and schools are out there, hidden in bushes, with children sleeping in facilities that no security agency knows about? This is a disaster waiting to happen. The Kogi incident is not an anomaly; it is a symptom of a systemic failure in regulation," the advocate said.
The Kogi State Government has urged operators of similar facilities to "engage with appropriate government agencies to ensure proper oversight, security assessment, and protection." It also warned that it would no longer tolerate the operation of unregistered institutions, particularly in isolated locations.
The attack echoes a broader pattern of criminal targeting of educational institutions across Nigeria's northern and central regions. Since the Chibok abduction of 2014, schools have increasingly become soft targets for kidnap-for-ransom syndicates and extremist groups. The targeting of an orphanage—housing children who lack parental protection in the best of times—marks an especially cruel extension of this tactic.
Residents of Zariagi remain on edge. A community source told Prime Brief Media that many families have temporarily relocated to Lokoja town centre out of fear of further attacks. "People are scared. If they can come into an orphanage and take children, who is safe?" the source said.
The Nigeria Police Force has not issued an official statement confirming the number of suspects in custody or whether any arrests have been made in connection with the attack. The Kogi State Government has promised regular updates as the search operation continues.
