By Ghazali Ibrahim
In the early hours of Friday, armed assailants stormed St. Mary’s School, Papiri, a Catholic boarding institution in the Papiri community of Agwara Local Government Area, Niger State, and abducted a still‑undetermined number of students and staff.
According to a statement from the state government’s secretary, Abubakar Usman, the incident occurred despite prior intelligence warnings.
“The Niger State Government has received with deep sadness the disturbing news of the kidnapping of pupils from St Mary’s School,” he said.
Arise News reported that approximately 52 schoolchildren were abducted in the attack.
A security guard was also shot during the raid and is receiving treatment.
The kidnapping comes just days after a similar incident in neighbouring Kebbi State, where 25 girls were taken from a boarding school earlier this week, prompting national alarm.
Security forces have been deployed to the forested areas of the region as part of efforts to locate the abductees.
The state government criticised the school for resuming academic activities “without notifying or seeking clearance,” thereby allegedly exposing pupils to risk.
Families and residents in the Papiri area expressed deep fear and frustration.
One parent, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said, “We sent our children to school trusting it would be safe, now we don’t know if they are alive or where they are.”
Analysts say the spree of school abductions underscores the widening reach of armed gangs in northwest Nigeria, exploiting gaps in school security, remote terrain and the high‑profile nature of school targets for ransom and leverage.
As the rescue operation continues, calls are growing for the federal government to bolster safeguarding of educational institutions and accelerate systemic responses to the recurring abduction crisis.
