Parents of abducted Nigerian schoolgirls anxious for news

The father of a girl kidnapped from a government school in northern Nigeria vowed Monday to educate his daughter at all costs, if she is rescued alive. "Whether (the gunmen) like it or not, my daughter will not stop going to school," Yunusa Muhammad insisted. More than 300 schoolgirls were kidnapped by gunmen from a government school in Jangebe last week, the latest in a series of mass school kidnappings in the West African nation.

It came as a suprise to Muhammad, 51, who said the Government Girls Junior Secondary School was known as "safe and secure." Along with other parents, he has been visiting the school every day, as unconfirmed rumors of the girls' release circulate on social media.

School security guard Lawani Adali said he was outnumbered by gunmen during the incident, and had to take cover. "Policemen and vigilantes couldn't get in because the gunmen blocked everywhere, there was heavy firing," he said. He explained the gunmen managed to gather the girls in one spot and march them out of the building.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said the government's priority is to get all the hostages returned safe and unharmed. The country has seen several such attacks and kidnappings in recent years. The government says large groups of armed men in Zamfara state are known to kidnap for money and to press for the release of their members held in jail. 

(Image Credits: AP)