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Nigeria intensifies search for 25 abducted schoolgirls

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Police officers stand guard outside the school where children were kidnapped by gunmen in Kebbi, Nigeria [Aljazeera]

Security forces in northwest Nigeria are intensifying their efforts to find the 25 schoolgirls abducted by gunmen in an early-morning raid on their school this week.

Police said men armed with rifles stormed Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Kebbi State’s Maga town approximately 4am local time (03:00 GMT) on Monday, arriving on motorcycles in an apparently well-planned attack.

The attackers exchanged gunfire with police before scaling the perimeter fence and abducting the students. The assailants killed the school’s vice principal during the attack.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for abducting the girls, and their motivation was unclear.

On Tuesday, security teams swept nearby forests where gangs often hide, while others were deployed along major roads leading to the school.

Kebbi Governor Nasir Idris visited the school on Monday and assured of efforts to rescue the girls, and Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu, Nigeria’s chief of army staff met with soldiers in the hours after the attack and directed “intelligence-driven operations and relentless day-and-night pursuit of the abductors,” according to an army statement.

“We must find these children. Act decisively and professionally on all intelligence. Success is not optional,” Shaibu told troops during a visit to Kebbi on Tuesday. “You must continue day and night fighting.”

He urged the soldiers to “leave no stone unturned” in the search for the schoolgirls.

Monday’s raid was the second mass school abduction in Kebbi in four years, following a June 2021 incident when bandits took more than 100 students and staff members from a government college.

Those students were released in batches over two years after parents raised ransoms. Some of the students were forcefully married and returned with babies.

At least 1,500 students have been kidnapped across the country since members of the Boko Haram armed group abducted 276 girls from their school in the town of Chibok on April 14, 2014.

In March 2024, more than 130 schoolchildren were rescued after spending more than two weeks in captivity in the Nigerian state of Kaduna.

While Kebbi State police told news wire AFP on Tuesday that the abducted schoolchildren were all Muslim, supporters of US President Donald Trump have seized on the tragedy to embolden their claim that Christians are under attack in Nigeria.

“While we don’t have all the details on this horrific attack, we know that the attack occurred in a Christian enclave in Northern Nigeria,” Republican Representative Riley Moore wrote on X.

Trump has threatened to invade Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” over what right-wing lawmakers in the US allege is a ‘Christian genocide’

Nigeria has rejected the US president’s statements, saying the country’s various security crises have left more Muslims dead.

[Aljazeera]



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U – 19 World Cup: Sri Lanka beat Ireland by 106 runs

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Vimath Dinsara played a captain's knock for Sri Lanka (Cricinfo)

In Windhoek, Sri Lanka strode to 267 for 5, with Vimath Dinsara hitting 95, and Chamika Heenatigala hitting 51. That pair put on a 100-run partnership for the fifth wicket, but there had also been a solid contribution from Kavija Gamage, who made 49. Ireland seamer Oliver Riley who took 2 for 51, dismissing top-scorer Dinsara and also Viran Chamuditha, who had made 192 in the last match.

But Ireland were timid in response. Behind the required rate from early in the piece, they also lost frequent wickets. They were struggling at 66 for 2 in the 19th over, but were soon 96 for 6 in the 27th over, the match essentially having slipped away. They were eventually dismissed for 161 in the 41st over. The right-arm seamers did the damage for Sri Lanka, Rasith Nimsara taking 3 for 29, and Dulnith Sigera claiming 4 for 19.

This victory puts Sri Lanka at the top of Group A, with a Net Run Rate of 3.090 – the best in the tournament so far.

Brief scores:

Sri Lanka Under 19s 267 for 5 in 50 overs  (Vimath Dinsara 95, Kavija Gamage 49,  Chamika  Heenatigala 51*; Oliver Riley 2-51) beat Ireland Under 19s  161 in 40.1 overs  (Callum Armstrong 39;  Rasith Nimsara 3-29,  Dulnith Sigera 4-19) by 106 runs

(Cricinfo)

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U – 19 World Cup: Rowles, Bulbulia star in South Africa’s big win over Tanzania

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Jason Rowles scored a hundred and picked up two wickets against Tanzania (Cricinfo)

South Africa monstered the Tanzania side over in Windhoek, Muhammed Bulbulia and Jason Rowles hitting hundreds to get South Africa to 397 for 5, before their bowlers blasted Tanzania out for 68.

Tanzania had begun encouragingly, although South Africa were always scoring quickly. They had taken two South Africa wickets inside the first 14 overs, and had South Africa at 93 for 2 at one stage. But then Bulbulia and Rowles came together, to take the game rapidly away from the opposition, with a 201-run partnership that came off 176 balls.

Rowles was the more aggressive of the pair in the end, clobbering five sixes and ten fours in his 125 not out off 101 deliveries. Bulbulia hit one six and ten fours in his run-a-ball 108. Paul James also produced a rollicking finishing knock, crashing five sixes and two fours in his 46 off 18.

Tanzania could not get off the blocks in the chase. South Africa took their first wicket in the second over, and just did not stop striking, the wickets spread between all five bowlers used.

Rowles added to his outstanding performance by claiming two wickets for 14 with his left-arm spin. Bayanda Majola also took two wickets, for six runs.

Brief scores:

South Africa Under-19s 397 for 5 in 50 overs (Jason Rowles 125, Muhammed  Bulbulia 108, Jorich Van Schalkwyk 47, Paul James 46; Simba Mbaki 2-85) beat Tanzania Under-19s 68 in 32.2 overs (Simba Mbaki 17; Bayanda Majola 2-6, Jason Rowles 2-14) by 329 runs

(Cricibfo)

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U – 19 World Cup: Raza, Usman steer Pakistan to victory over Scotland

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Ali Raza blew Scotland away (Cricinfo)

Pakistan quick Ali Raza rattled Scotland with his pace early on, before left-arm wristspinner Momin Qamar  helped take down the middle order. Scotland showed some mettle, particularly during a 68-run seventh-wicket partnership that raised their total to a creditable 187.

But it was clear they were outgunned. Many Scotland batters were uncomfortable against Ali’s pace, and struggled to read Pakistan’s wristspinners. Raza deservedly emerged with the game’s best figures, taking 4 for 37 – two of those wickets having come in a memorable first over. Qamar took 3 for 46. Scotland’s highest scorer was captain Thomas Knight, who ground out a 72-ball 37, before Qamar slipped a beautifully-flighted delivery past his defences.

Despite some gutsy batting from Finlay Jones and Manu Saraswat down the order, Scotland always seemed headed to a sub-par score, even given the seamer-friendly conditions in Harare. When they lost two wickets in the first over – Raza bowling Theo Robinson and Max Chaplin with outstanding deliveries – they were in danger of being skittled quickly. But they battled through until the 49th over.

Pakistan’s chase was mostly straightforward. Scotland’s seamers got some movement with the new ball, and Ollie Jones was able to extract two wickets by the 12th over. But No. 3 batter Usman Khan  struck 75, and Ahmed Hussain  – who had earlier taken a sublime catch – joined him for a 111-run stand that made the game safe. They got home with six wickets to spare, in the 44th over.

Brief scores:

Pakistan Under-19s 190 for 4 in 43.1 9vers  (Usman Khan 75, Ahmed  Hussain 47; Ollie Jones 2-41, Manu Saraswat 2-46) beat Scotland Under-19s 187 in 48.1 overs (Thomas Knight 37; Ali Raza 4-37, Momin Qamar 3-46, Abdul Subhan 2-36) by six wickets

(Cricinfo)

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