In a brazen early morning raid, gunmen abducted more than 200 students and teachers from a Catholic boarding school in Nigeria’s Niger state on Friday. This incident is the second mass kidnapping of schoolchildren in the country this week, heightening fears over a deteriorating security situation.
The attack occurred at approximately 2:00 AM local time at St. Mary’s School in the Papiri community of Niger state. Armed men, locally referred to as bandits, stormed the school’s hostel and seized 215 pupils along with 12 members of staff. Residents reported scenes of chaos as the assailants moved through the compound, with some children managing to escape and scatter into the surrounding area. The school, which serves both girls and boys, had recently reopened despite government warnings.
Nigerian police confirmed the abduction and have deployed tactical units and military personnel to search the nearby forests. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) stated that it is working to ensure the safe return of the children, with its Niger state spokesperson visiting the community to meet with distressed families. Authorities emphasized that security agencies are combing the area with the aim of rescuing the abducted students.
This kidnapping follows another mass abduction on Monday, when 25 schoolgirls were taken from a secondary school in neighbouring Kebbi state. Two of those girls have since escaped, but 23 remain missing. Additionally, on Tuesday, armed men attacked a church in Kwara state, killing two people and abducting 38 worshippers during a service that was being broadcast online.
The Niger state government revealed that St. Mary’s School had disregarded an order to close all boarding facilities due to intelligence warnings of heightened security threats. A statement from the state secretary expressed regret that the school resumed activities without notifying or seeking clearance, thereby exposing pupils and staff to avoidable risk. The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora reported that a school guard was badly shot during the attack.
In response to the escalating crises, President Bola Tinubu postponed his foreign trips, including attendance at the G20 summit in South Africa, to address domestic security issues. Vice President Kashim Shettima will represent Nigeria at the international gathering. The abductions have drawn international attention, particularly in light of recent claims by U.S. President Donald Trump about Christian persecution in Nigeria, which the Nigerian government has firmly denied.
Nigeria is facing multiple overlapping security challenges, including kidnappings for ransom by criminal gangs, jihadist insurgencies in the northeast, and conflicts between herders and farmers in the central regions. Analysts note that while these incidents often involve religious communities, they are frequently driven by competition for resources rather than sectarian motives. The payment of ransoms has been outlawed, but it continues to fuel the criminal economy.
As the search for the abducted students continues, families in Papiri are gripped by fear and uncertainty. Local residents have voiced frustration over the state of security, with one parent lamenting that the attack took everyone by surprise. Church officials and community leaders are urging for swift action to secure the children’s release, while the broader implications for Nigeria’s stability and international relations remain a pressing concern.
