Key Takeaways
- Over 300 students and teachers abducted from St. Mary’s School in Niger state
- Christmas holidays declared early for all schools in the state as safety measure
- Church disputes government claim that school had reopened
- Second major kidnapping incident in Nigeria within days
More than 300 schoolchildren and teachers have been abducted by gunmen from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger state, marking one of Nigeria’s largest mass kidnappings. The Christian Association of Nigeria confirmed the attack has led to early Christmas holidays being declared across all schools in the state as a security precaution.
The official count now stands at 303 children and 12 teachers taken from the Papiri community school. Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, CAN’s Niger state head, stated the revised numbers came after thorough verification and census exercises.
Yohanna revealed to Reuters that 88 additional students were captured while attempting to escape. The abducted students, aged 10-18 years, include both boys and girls.
This incident follows another kidnapping just four days earlier in neighbouring Kebbi state, where 25 schoolchildren were seized approximately 170 kilometres away.
No armed group has claimed responsibility for the mass abduction. Nigerian authorities have deployed tactical teams and local hunters to locate and rescue the missing children.
Church Challenges Government’s Reopening Claim
Yohanna strongly disputed the Niger state government’s assertion that the school had resumed normal operations.
“We did not receive any circular. It must be an afterthought and a way to shift blame,” he told Reuters.
The church leader urged affected families to “remain calm and prayerful” during the crisis.
