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Witnesses report 2nd mass-abduction of children in Nigeria in less than a week
Johannesburg — More than 100 students were kidnapped from their elementary school in northern Nigeria early Thursday morning by unknown assailants on motorcycles, witnesses told local media outlets and CBS News’ partner network BBC News. One student was said to have been shot in the chaos at the school in the town of Kugira, in Kaduna state, and taken to a hospital.
BBC quoted witnesses as saying the children were between the ages of 8 and 15, and that one teacher was taken along with them.
The abduction comes just days after another mass-kidnapping in Nigeria’s tumultuous north, which reportedly saw scores of children, mostly girls, seized by militants in Borno state, further to the east.
A Kaduna state official confirmed that a mass-kidnapping had taken place in Kugira to a BBC reporter in Nigeria, without providing further details.
The young women and girls seized by gunmen in Borno had been out collecting firewood on Friday, outside a camp for internally displaced people.
Until last week, there had been a significant drop in the number of kidnappings by criminal groups, commonly known as bandits, in Nigeria. The Nigerian government had issued no comment on either of the attacks by late Thursday afternoon.
AP
Witnesses told local news outlets that more than 100 young woman and several boys were seized on Friday taken from near the Babban Sansani IDP. Reports said a large group of people collecting wood were surrounded by the fighters, who let elderly people go before heading into the bush.
The Nigerian Daily Trust newspaper, quoting a source from inside the Babba Sansani camp, said the fighters were from the Islamic militant group Boko Haram, and “three of the girls who escaped and returned to Ngala said the boys [insurgents] took them” close to a village across Nigeria’s northeast border in neighboring Chad.
The United Nation’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs told the French news agency AFP that an estimated 200 people were taken in that raid, and that head counts were being done at the camp to come up with a more exact number.
There were conflicting reports from witnesses about whether the attackers in Borno state were from Boko Haram or the ISIS affiliate in the region, called the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Both groups are active in the region.
Borno State Police said the attack took place Friday afternoon, but the force could not confirm the numbers kidnapped or missing.
The abductions come after Borno officials said late last year that most of Boko Haram’s fighters in the state were either dead or had been apprehended.
If the initial counts prove accurate, Friday’s attack would be the largest mass-kidnapping in Nigeria since the April 14, 2014 attack on the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, which saw 276 girls taken from their dormitory by Boko Haram militants.
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With the fall semester coming to an end and the spring semester fast approaching, undergraduate, graduate and professional students who must borrow to pay tuition or living expenses should start exploring student loan options sooner rather than later. Borrowers can take out federal loans, including direct subsidized or unsubsidized loans, Grad PLUS loans or Parent PLUS oans. However, these federal loans have annual and lifetime limits and come with a fixed interest rate set by law.
Private student loans are another option, though, and they come with some big benefits. With interest rates dropping and the likelihood of federal loan forgiveness diminishing as the Trump Administration takes office, private student loans may, in fact, be the best option for some borrowers. Rates and terms for private lenders can vary from one lender to another, though, unlike with federal loans.
As a result, it’s important to understand how to get a low rate on these loans for the spring 2025 semester.
Find out how affordable a private student loan could be now.
How to get a low student loan rate for the spring 2025 semester
Here’s what experts say you can do to keep your borrowing costs affordable as you move into the spring semester.
Shop around among private student loan lenders
Many banks, credit unions and online lenders offer private student loans — and it’s important to explore all of your options if you want your loans to be as affordable as possible.
“Always shop around to see what the best possible rates are available to you,” says Domenick D’Andrea, co-founder at DanDarah Wealth Management.
Jack Wang, a wealth advisor and college financial aid advisor at Innovative Advisory Group agreed, noting that “rates on private student loans can vary significantly.”
Most private student loan lenders allow you to get rates quotes online, often without a hard credit inquiry, so your credit score won’t be impacted. However, as you’re shopping around, you must be sure you’re comparing similar loan offers.
“Loan terms impact the rate,” says Wang. “For example, borrowers can choose a fixed or variable rate, whether payments are required during school, and the loan repayment time.”
By focusing on all of these details, you can compare multiple loan offerings and understand monthly payments, total borrowing costs and how long it will take to be debt-free after graduation.
Start comparing your top private student loan options online now.
Improve your credit
It’s also a good idea to get your finances in order if you want to get the best student loan rates.
“Generally, the lowest interest rates are for those with the best credit and debt-to-income ratio, who also pick full payments while in school and who pick the shortest repayment term,” Wang says. “After all, these terms reduce the risk for the lender.”
D’Andrea suggests that you take steps like paying down existing debt to reduce your debt-to-income ratio and limiting the number of new credit cards and loans you apply for, as applying for too much new debt can hurt your credit score. It’s also important to make all loan payments on time to avoid lowering your credit score, D’Andrea says.
The more qualified you are as a borrower, the more loans you’ll be eligible for and the lower your rates will be.
Apply with a cosigner
Unfortunately, improving your credit can take time and it’s often not possible to do things like increasing your income while you are in school. The good news is that you still have options to pursue a private loan at an affordable rate even if your credit is less than stellar.
“Investigate a cosigner if you have a limited credit history or considerable debt already,” D’Andrea says.
A cosigner agrees to share responsibility for your loans. You’ll need to provide their financial details when you apply. If they have more income or better credit, their credentials can help you borrow more affordably.
Starting shopping early
The last key to getting an affordable loan is to start the process early.
“People tend to shop for student loans according to their college billing cycle. So if a college bills by semester, busy times tend to be early summer for fall bills, and November or December for spring bills,” Wang says.
While Wang notes that there’s no time during the year when loans go “on sale” and no specific seasonality to shopping for student loan rates, it can still be smart to start the process of borrowing sooner rather than later. The simple reason for that is that you’ll have more time to compare rates and terms — and to take steps like lining up a cosigner if you aren’t being offered great rates.
The bottom line
You don’t want to end up in a situation where spring tuition is due, you don’t have a loan yet and you’re forced to accept the first loan you’re offered despite unfavorable terms. If you get started comparing rates and offers today, you’ll have plenty of time to find the loan that’s best for your situation.
Washington — The Georgia Court of Appeals on Thursday ruled that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis must be removed from the 2020 election case against President-elect Donald Trump, reversing a trial judge’s decision that allowed her to remain on the case.
Trump and more than a dozen allies were charged last year by Fulton County prosecutors related to what they said was an alleged scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia. The president-elect pleaded not guilty.
“After carefully considering the trial court’s findings in its order, we conclude that it erred by failing to disqualify DA Willis and her office,” the Georgia Court of Appeals said in its decision.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
