Gunmen carried out a violent pre-dawn assault on a Catholic boarding school in Nigeria’s Niger state, abducting a massive number of students and teachers and triggering a widespread security response across the region. According to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), more than 200 children were taken in the attack, marking one of the largest school kidnappings in recent years in a country already plagued by recurring abductions. The attackers stormed St. Mary’s School, a Catholic educational compound located in Papiri community under the Agwara local government area. CAN state spokesperson Daniel Atori said that the armed group seized 215 pupils and students in addition to 12 teachers during the attack, adding that he had met devastated parents during his visit to the site and that the association was working urgently toward securing the children’s safe return.
Police reported that the armed raid occurred in the early hours of the morning and confirmed that a substantial deployment of military and security personnel had been dispatched to the community following the abductions. St. Mary’s functions as a secondary school serving children aged roughly 12 to 17. Satellite imagery shows that the compound spans both a secondary and an adjoining primary school, with more than 50 buildings, including classrooms and dormitories. The school is situated near a major roadway connecting the towns of Yelwa and Mokwa. Local resident Dauda Chekula, age 62, said four of his young grandchildren, all between seven and ten years old, were among the abducted children. He described a scene of chaos in which some children managed to escape but fled in different directions, while the attackers reportedly moved deeper into the bush with the remaining captives.
The Niger state government later stated that the attack happened even though intelligence services had warned of heightened threats in the area. According to officials, the school had reopened without seeking clearance from authorities, which left staff and students exposed to danger. Local accounts indicated that only informal community security arrangements were in place at the time, with no formal police presence. The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora confirmed that one security staffer was “badly shot” during the raid.
The mass abduction is part of a string of violent attacks in northern Nigeria. Earlier in the week, gunmen stormed a high school in the neighbouring Kebbi state, kidnapping 25 schoolgirls, one of whom later escaped. In another incident on the same day in Kwara state, assailants attacked a church, killing two worshippers and kidnapping 38 more. The Christ Apostolic Church confirmed that the kidnappers were demanding 100 million naira—about $69,000—for each hostage. Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu cancelled his planned trip to the G20 summit in South Africa following the surge in violence, and Vice President Kashim Shettima was sent in his place. Shettima vowed during a visit to Kebbi that the government would use every available tool to rescue the abducted girls and bring perpetrators to justice.
No armed group has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Niger and Kebbi, but analysts and locals attribute such kidnappings to heavily armed criminal gangs who frequently target schools, travellers, and rural communities. These groups, often described as former herders who armed themselves after clashes with farming communities, are believed to kidnap for ransom. Nigeria has suffered repeatedly from abductions, with over 1,500 students taken since Boko Haram kidnapped 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in 2014. While Boko Haram remains active, independent bandit groups have also escalated violence, with schools becoming high-profile targets.
The insecurity crisis has drawn international attention, including recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who claimed Christians were being persecuted in Nigeria—an allegation the Nigerian government dismissed as misleading. Analysts note that although Christians are targeted, the majority of victims in the Muslim-majority north are actually Muslims. Locals argue that ongoing impunity and corruption have fueled the crisis; while security agencies struggle with limited resources, armed gangs appear to have steady access to weapons.
The latest kidnapping has sparked grief and anger across affected communities. Lagos-based influencer Eze Gloria Chidinma, known as “Riaz Kitchen,” said her younger sister escaped the attack by jumping a fence. She explained that her family had previously endured kidnappings, sharing that her mother and older brother had been abducted last year and were released only after the family paid a large ransom. She criticised authorities for failing to respond effectively, saying officials told them “there is nothing they can do.” Chidinma urged the government to take citizens’ safety seriously and prioritise the protection of lives and property.
Community leaders echoed this frustration. Pastor Yohanna Buru, head of the Peace Revival and Reconciliation Foundation, called on authorities to reinforce security around schools in vulnerable regions. He argued that if the government had been doing its job, the widespread kidnapping epidemic would not have reached its current level, adding that current conditions make it appear as though leaders do not care about the future of Nigerian children.
