WTF? 162 children ABDUCTED from North West school

In one of the more bizarre stories you’re likely to come across this year, a drunken mob was somehow able to take scores of children out of Tirelong Farm School in North West, before dumping them on the streets. A total of 162 students were abducted on Tuesday evening.

#NWabduction The North West education department says it has received reports that 162 Tirelong Secondary School pupils who are accommodated at Boons Mega Farm School have been abducted on Tuesday. ML

— Mia Lindeque (@MiaLindeque) January 20, 2022

How were 162 children abducted from school?

It has been established that the adults who abducted these children were not their parents. The facility, which serves as a boarding school, had previously been targeted by vandals and thieves. Electricity cables and other valuable goods had been stolen from the property, making living conditions ‘very difficult’ for the kids.

We’re still trying to piece together all of the details, but a clearer picture is emerging on Thursday. Learning that 162 children have been abducted from a school is nothing short of mind-boggling, but there is some context to this incident:

• A mob of adults, allegedly drunk, turned up at the school gates just after 20:00.
• Security guards initially refused entry to the group, before they were able to break a small gate.
• The abductors then ‘blew whistles and made noise’ to attract the attention of learners.
• The children then forced their way out of the school, and jumped into the bakkies on site.
• Students were taken in different loads, the last of which left at 5:00 on Wednesday.
• Only 10 pupils stayed behind, refusing to leave without the permission of their parents.

North West officials left with questions to answer

The North West Education Department has commented on the matter, releasing a statement shortly after the abduction was reported. They are demanding the immediate arrest of the perpetrators, while hoping that video evidence can bring this unruly mob to justice.

“We are very disappointed by such a horrible incident at our boarding school. This needs to be stopped immediately and the people behind it must be arrested. They removed learners from our schools under the pretext of being parents.”

“We are in possession of video clips to substantiate that these were not parents. What is disturbing us more is that they don’t take the learners to their homes, they leave them on the streets. They’ve exposed the lives of our children to extreme danger. We want the police to arrest everyone involved in this unacceptable practice.”

North West Education Department