Key Takeaways
- Gunmen abducted 215 students and 12 teachers from a Catholic school in Niger State.
- The school had reopened despite specific security warnings.
- This is one of the largest mass school kidnappings in Nigeria in recent years.
In a major security breach, over 200 students and a dozen teachers were kidnapped by gunmen from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) confirmed the Friday morning attack in the Papiri community of Agwara, highlighting the country’s escalating insecurity crisis.
School Reopened Despite Clear Warnings
Authorities revealed that the school administration resumed classes without seeking necessary security clearance, despite intelligence reports warning of increased threats. The Niger state government criticized this oversight, which left pupils and staff exposed. A security guard was badly shot during the assault, and residents reported a complete absence of police or security forces at the scene.
Families in Agony as Children Vanish
Distraught parents have received no information about their missing children. Dauda Chekula, 62, said four of his grandchildren, aged 7 to 10, were among those taken. “The children who escaped have scattered,” he stated. “All we know is that the attackers are still moving with the others into the bush.”
Pattern of Northern Nigeria Kidnappings
This incident is part of a dangerous trend across northern Nigeria. Just this week, gunmen abducted 25 schoolgirls in neighboring Kebbi State, and attackers killed two worshippers while kidnapping 38 others in Kwara State. Since the infamous 2014 Chibok kidnapping by Boko Haram, over 1,500 students have been abducted in the region, primarily by criminal gangs seeking ransom payments.
Government Scrambles Response
President Bola Tinubu cancelled a planned international trip, while Vice President Kashim Shettima pledged to use “every instrument of the state” to rescue the children. The Federal Ministry of Education has ordered the closure of 47 unity colleges in high-risk areas. However, many Nigerians blame government failures, corruption, and impunity for the deteriorating security situation, with victims’ families expressing complete loss of trust in authorities.
