Gunmen stormed a Catholic boarding school in western Nigeria on Friday, abducting more than 200 students and a dozen teachers in the latest wave of kidnappings that has shaken the nation.
The attack took place at St. Mary’s School in Papiri, within the Agwara local government area. According to Daniel Atori, spokesperson for the Niger state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), 215 pupils and 12 teachers were seized. CAN said it is working urgently to secure the safe return of those kidnapped.
“The children who managed to escape have scattered,” Atori said, quoting Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa, CAN’s Niger chairman. “Some ran back to their homes, while the rest are reportedly being taken into the bush by the attackers.”
Niger State Police confirmed that the abductions occurred in the early hours of Friday. Security forces and the military have since been deployed to the area. St. Mary’s, a secondary school for children aged 12 to 17, sits beside a primary school and comprises over 50 classroom and dormitory buildings, near a major road connecting Yelwa and Mokwa.
Some families have been hit particularly hard. Dauda Chekula, 62, said four of his grandchildren, aged 7 to 10, were among those abducted. Meanwhile, the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora reported that a school security staffer was “badly shot” during the assault.
The secretary to the Niger state government noted that the abductions occurred despite prior intelligence about potential threats. “St. Mary’s School reopened without notifying the state government, exposing students and staff to avoidable risks,” the statement read. Residents said only local security personnel were on site at the time, with no official police presence.
In response to escalating violence, Nigerian authorities ordered the closure of 47 federal unity colleges, mostly in conflict-prone northern states. These elite government schools, which draw students nationwide, were to be shut immediately, according to a circular from the Federal Ministry of Education.
A Broader Pattern of Abductions
The attack follows a string of similar incidents. On Monday, gunmen abducted 25 schoolgirls from a high school in Kebbi state, around 170 kilometers from Papiri, though one girl later escaped. In Kwara state, attackers killed two worshippers at a church and kidnapped 38 others, demanding 100 million naira ($69,000) per person.
President Bola Tinubu canceled plans to attend the G20 summit in South Africa this weekend in light of the kidnappings. Vice President Kashim Shettima will attend in his place, pledging to use “every instrument of the state” to rescue the abducted children and bring the perpetrators to justice.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Niger and Kebbi states. Analysts say most kidnappers are former herders who have taken up arms against farming communities amid resource disputes. Schools, travelers, and remote villagers are frequent targets, often with ransom as the primary motive.
Since the infamous Chibok schoolgirl abductions over a decade ago, at least 1,500 students have been kidnapped in northern Nigeria. While Christians have been among the victims, analysts note that most attacks target Muslims in Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim north.
Communities Demand Action
Residents and analysts attribute the ongoing insecurity to impunity for known criminals and widespread corruption, which limits security forces’ resources while enabling armed gangs.
Personal stories underscore the human toll. Lagos-based influencer Eze Gloria Chidinma said her sister escaped by jumping a school fence. She recounted that her mother and older brother were kidnapped last year, forcing the family to pay a large ransom after security forces failed to intervene.
“My message to the authorities is to think about people’s lives,” Chidinma said. “Your job is to protect lives and properties. People’s lives should matter to you.”
Pastor Yohanna Buru, head of the Peace Revival and Reconciliation Foundation, called for heightened security around schools in vulnerable areas, warning, “If the government were doing enough, rampant kidnappings would not be happening. It’s as if they don’t care about the future of our children.”