A group of gunmen kidnapped a total of 303 students and 12 teachers from St. Mary’s School, a Catholic institution in Niger state, north-central Nigeria, as reported by the Christian Association of Nigeria. The initial count of abducted schoolchildren was revised from 215 to 303 following a thorough verification process and a final headcount conducted by Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, the chairman of the association’s Niger state chapter, who visited the school recently.
Among the abducted students were 88 individuals who were captured while attempting to flee during the attack. The students, both male and female, ranged in age from 10 to 18. This incident occurred in the remote Papiri community of Niger state, just four days after a similar abduction of 25 students in Maga town, Kebbi state, located 170 kilometers away.
Despite the abductions, no group has claimed responsibility for the heinous acts. Authorities have deployed tactical squads and local hunters to rescue the abducted children. The claim made by the state government that the school had reopened for studies was debunked by Yohanna, who stated that there was no official communication about the reopening and attributed the claim to a misguided attempt to shift blame.
School kidnappings have become emblematic of the prevailing insecurity in Nigeria, with armed gangs targeting educational institutions as strategic assets to garner attention. UNICEF highlighted the lack of early warning systems in conflict-affected states, revealing that only 37% of schools have mechanisms to detect threats.
The recent spate of abductions coincides with U.S. President Donald Trump’s allegations of targeted attacks on Christians in Nigeria. It is essential to note that attacks in the country impact both Christians and Muslims. Furthermore, the incident occurred while Nigerian National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu was in the United States for meetings, including one with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
The situation remains fluid as efforts are underway to secure the safe return of the abducted students and teachers.
