FOUR days after the abduction of dozens of schoolgirls in Maga, Kebbi State, Nigeria, has suffered yet another mass kidnapping, this time in Niger State, where 215 students and 12 staff of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, were seized during a midnight attack on Friday.
News Point Nigeria reports that the Niger State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) confirmed the chilling figures, putting the total number of abductees at 227.
Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, State CAN Chairman, who visited the community, said the attack had left families devastated.
“From our record, 215 pupils and students and 12 teachers were abducted by the terrorists. Some students escaped, and parents have been arriving to pick their children. The school has now been shut down,” he stated.
Gunmen reportedly stormed the school around 2am, shooting a security guard before breaking into the hostels.
A truck seized from the community was used to move the abductees but was later abandoned after developing a fault. The children were then marched into the forest on foot.
Police spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident, stating: “Joint police tactical units, military components, and other security agencies have moved to the scene, combing the forests to rescue the abducted students.”
In a statement, the Niger State Government accused St. Mary’s School of violating a security directive issued days earlier.
The Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Usman, revealed that authorities had ordered the closure of all boarding schools in Niger North following intelligence reports of heightened threats.
“Regrettably, St. Mary’s School reopened and resumed academic activities without clearance, exposing pupils and staff to avoidable risk,” he said.
The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora described the attack as “devastating,” confirming staff were also abducted.
Fr Jatau Luka Joseph said the attack occurred between 1am and 3am, leaving one security operative severely injured.
The Niger and Kebbi abductions have triggered widespread panic, with governments shutting schools across several states.
The Ministry of Education ordered the immediate closure of 41 Federal Government Colleges, citing “recent security challenges.”
States such as Kwara, Katsina, and Plateau have also ordered widescale shutdown of basic and junior secondary schools.
According to Save the Children, over 1,680 schoolchildren were kidnapped between 2014 and 2022 in more than 70 incidents.