Gunmen kidnap 7 students from school in northwestern Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Gunmen raided an off-campus residence in northwest Nigeria and kidnapped seven students, police said.

The attack occurred early Wednesday in the Kaura Namoda area of conflict-battered Zamfara state, police spokesman Yazid Abubakar said in a statement. One of the students escaped and was in custody.

The police spokesman said it wasn't clear where the students were taken but efforts were underway to rescue the remaining six.

Zamfara has been a hotspot for armed gangs that carry out kidnappings for ransom, with abductions of students increasing in recent years across the country.

A tally by local news outlet Premium Times found that at least 1,900 students have been kidnapped from 20 schools since the 2014 mass abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno state.

People protest demanding government to rescue the school children that were recently kidnapped in various part of the country, on the street of Abuja, Nigeria. Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Olamikan Gbemiga)

Children protest demanding government to rescue the school children that were recently kidnapped in various part of the country, on the street of Abuja, Nigeria. Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Olamikan Gbemiga)

DUBLIN (AP) — Ireland coach Andy Farrell signed a new contract Friday through the 2031 Rugby World Cup in the United States, aiming to get the team past its historic block at the quarterfinal stage.

The Irish Rugby Football Union announced the extension to a deal which will now keep Farrell through an eighth year in charge, including the 2027 World Cup hosted by Australia.

In 10 editions of the tournament, Ireland has lost in eight quarterfinals and never been further.

Farrell’s team lost to New Zealand at the last-eight stage of the 2023 World Cup in France.

The 51-year-old Farrell played in both rugby codes for England, and coached the British and Irish Lions team on a winning tour of Australia last year.

AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby

FILE -Ireland's head coach Andy Farrell gestures to the player before the start of a rugby union Nations Series match between Ireland and Australia in Dublin, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison, File)