▁without ▁r ans om ▁or ▁prior ▁notification ▁on ▁November ▁ 7 , ▁while ▁the ▁principal ▁and ▁the ▁staff ▁members ▁were ▁held ▁for ▁five ▁more ▁days . ▁The ▁circumstances ▁of ▁the ▁incident ▁remained ▁unclear . ▁While ▁the ▁kid n app ers ▁identified ▁as ▁" Am ba ▁Boys " ▁( a ▁common ▁n oun ▁for ▁Amb azon ian ▁separ at ists ), ▁separ at ist ▁groups ▁claimed ▁the ▁incident ▁was ▁a ▁false ▁flag ▁operation ▁st aged ▁by ▁the ▁Cam ero onian ▁government . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Since ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁Amb azon ian ▁separ at ists ▁have ▁attacked ▁and ▁bur nt ▁down ▁schools ▁across ▁Southern ▁Cam ero ons . ▁At ▁least ▁ 4 2 ▁schools ▁came ▁under ▁attack ▁between ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁and ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁Se par at ists ▁regard ▁schools ▁to ▁be ▁legit imate ▁targets ▁because ▁the ▁French ▁language ▁is ▁taught ▁as ▁a ▁mand atory ▁subject , ▁and ▁have ▁war ned ▁parents ▁to ▁keep ▁their ▁children ▁at ▁home ▁for ▁their ▁own ▁safety ' s ▁sake . ▁Att acks ▁on ▁schools ▁have ▁involved ▁destruction ▁of ▁property ▁and ▁ab du ction ▁of ▁staff , ▁and ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁these ▁attacks ▁is ▁to ▁force ▁schools ▁to ▁shut ▁down . ▁ ▁Kid n apping ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁students ▁who ▁were ▁kid n apped , ▁armed ▁men ▁w oke ▁them ▁up ▁at ▁ 3 ▁a . m ., ▁had ▁them ▁sit ▁down ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁school , ▁and ▁then ▁made ▁their ▁selection . ▁ 7 9 ▁students