No fewer than 215 pupils and 12 teachers were abducted on Friday when armed attackers stormed St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
The gunmen reportedly invaded the school around 2 a.m., firing shots into the air and forcing students and staff out of their hostels and classrooms. Although many were taken away, several students managed to escape by jumping over the school fence or hiding in nearby bushes.
A source from the Catholic Diocese, who asked not to be named, said the actual number of missing students could be higher than initially reported. According to him, more than 300 children were unaccounted for during the early hours after the attack, but some later returned as daybreak approached.
“Some of the students escaped, and by around 6 a.m., those who hid in the bush began returning to the school,” he explained.
The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger State, Most Rev. Bulus Yohanna, also visited the community, meeting with parents and school officials. He assured them that the church was working closely with government authorities and security agencies to ensure the safe return of all abducted students and teachers.
The mass abduction has heightened fear across the country, leading to the closure of schools in several states. On Friday evening, the Federal Ministry of Education ordered the temporary closure of 41 federal unity colleges located in high-risk areas. Plateau and Katsina states have also shut down all schools as a precaution.
These attacks come amid growing concerns about rising insecurity across northern Nigeria. The Federal Government recently suggested that some of the renewed violence may have been influenced by international political rhetoric, though the claim has not been independently verified.
The situation has once again raised national anxiety over school safety and the ability of security agencies to protect vulnerable communities.
