Gunmen stormed St. Mary's Catholic School in the Papiri community of Agwara, Niger State, early Friday, abducting 215 pupils and students along with 12 teachers, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). The attack is among the largest school kidnappings in recent years, highlighting Nigeria’s worsening insecurity. CAN spokesperson Daniel Atori said he met with devastated families during a visit to the school and assured them that efforts were underway to secure the children’s safe return. Police confirmed that security forces have been deployed to the area.
School left Vulnerable despite security warnings
Authorities revealed that the school reopened despite intelligence warnings of increased threats. The Niger state government criticised the administration for failing to seek clearance before resuming classes, saying the oversight exposed pupils and staff to unnecessary danger. Residents also reported the absence of police or government security forces during the attack. The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora confirmed that a security guard was “badly shot.” Satellite imagery shows St. Mary’s as a large compound with more than 50 structures, located close to a major road linking Yelwa and Mokwa.
Parents in anguish as children remain missing
Families are in deep distress as many have received no information about their missing children. Dauda Chekula, 62, said four of his grandchildren, aged 7 to 10, were taken. “The children who escaped have scattered,” he said. “All we know is that the attackers are still moving with the others into the bush.”
A surge in kidnappings across northern Nigeria
The kidnapping follows a series of violent incidents across northern Nigeria. Earlier in the week, gunmen abducted 25 schoolgirls from a high school in neighboring Kebbi State, with one later escaping. In Kwara State, attackers killed two worshippers and kidnapped 38 others, demanding 100 million naira ($69,000) per person. More than 1,500 students have been abducted in the region since Boko Haram’s 2014 Chibok kidnapping, with many attacks carried out by criminal gangs seeking ransom.
Government response and public outcry
President Bola Tinubu cancelled a planned trip to the G20 summit in South Africa, while Vice President Kashim Shettima vowed to use “every instrument of the state” to rescue the abducted children. The Federal Ministry of Education has ordered the closure of 47 unity colleges in high-risk areas. Residents and analysts blame government failures, corruption, and impunity for the rising insecurity. Families of victims say they no longer trust the authorities, while community leaders warn that the future of Nigerian children is increasingly at risk.
(AP inputs)
