Nigeria police detain 3 suspects in a rare school attack in the south of the country

ABUJA, Nigeria — Three gunmen who allegedly stormed into two primary schools in a rare attack in southwestern Nigeria were taken into custody, police said Saturday.

Authorities were still assessing the number of schoolchildren that might have been abducted, police spokesperson Ayanlade Olayinka told The Associated Press.

Gunmen attacked two primary schools in the Oriire area of Oyo state, about 220 kilometers (135 miles) from Lagos, in the early hours of Friday. The suspects, who were identified by the community, were arrested, Olayinka said.

Police didn't say if they were searching for more suspects.

School attacks usually occur in the northern region where most armed groups operate. The attack happened hours apart from another assault, in which suspected jihadi militants attacked a secondary school in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state on Friday.

Abduction of schoolchildren is common in Nigeria, where the government is battling several armed groups across the country. Analysts say the armed groups, including Islamic militant group Boko Haram, often target schools for high ransoms, as they tend to gain the government’s attention.

Last year, two mass abductions from schools rocked the West African nation, with more than 300 children taken in the conflict-battered northern region.