PHOTOS: Niger vigilantes join mission to rescue abducted schoolchildren

A local vigilante group has joined in efforts to rescue dozens of children abducted from the Government Science College, Kagara.

TheCable reporter on the ground at Rafi local government area, where the school is located, observed that more than 50 members of the local vigilante group were joining the rescue efforts.

While some of the vigilantes are volunteers, others were drafted in through the efforts of local governments in the state.

As of Thursday evening, they were moving into nearby forests where TheCable gathered the children were taken to.

Gunmen suspected to be bandits had attacked the school during an operation that lasted for about three hours on Wednesday morning.

At least 41 people — including 27 students and nine of their family members who are mostly children — were taken hostage by the attackers.

The school was deserted when TheCable visited on Thursday.

There were, however, a few staff members and parents of the victims waiting in anticipation for good news regarding the development.

The local vigilante group will join a team of security agencies that have been deployed to the state.

Bashir Magashi, minister of defence, had promised that the government will secure a swift and safe release of the schoolchildren — but it has been 36 hours since the attack took place.

Below are pictures of the local vigilante group as captured by TheCable: