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00:00 Nigerian soldiers were on Monday hunting for the armed kidnappers who seized nearly 300
00:07 school pupils in Kaduna state last week. That's according to a security source who said the
00:12 army's Kaduna-based One Division was leading the operation and will "soon have the bandits
00:18 in their sights." The soldiers are backed by local police, the
00:23 intelligence agency and the air force, the source added, as well as the Kaduna State
00:28 Vigilance Service. It's a vigilante group that knows the local terrain. The Nigerian
00:34 army did not respond to requests for comment. Parents say they're waiting for answers from
00:41 local authorities following the kidnapping last Thursday in the town of Kuriga.
00:47 Such mass abductions were first carried out by jihadist group Boko Haram a decade ago,
00:52 but the tactic has since been adopted by armed gangs seeking ransom. Families and communities
00:58 find themselves forced to pool their resources and sell prized possessions such as cattle
01:03 and land to free their children. Security analysts say President Bolotunubu
01:09 has yet to lay out a clear policy on how he intends to make Nigeria safer. He took office
01:15 last May, promising to tackle widespread insecurity. Lagos-based consultancy SBM Intelligence says
01:22 that since then, 4,500 people have been kidnapped throughout Nigeria.
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