In a devastating attack on St Mary’s Catholic School in north-central Nigeria’s Niger State, armed men abducted 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers on Friday, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) reported. The latest figures reflect an increase from an earlier count of 215 students, following a verification and final census conducted by local authorities, according to the Most Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of CAN’s Niger State chapter.
The assault follows a similar abduction earlier this week in neighbouring Kebbi State, where 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped from a secondary school in Maga town. One of those girls later escaped, leaving 24 still missing. No group has claimed responsibility for either abduction, prompting authorities to deploy tactical squads and local hunters to rescue the children.
St Mary’s, though classified as a secondary school, is part of a larger compound connected to a primary school with more than 50 buildings, including classrooms and dormitories. The campus in Papiri town lies along a major road linking Yelwa and Mokwa, and residents described scenes of panic as families desperately searched for their children. Dauda Chekula, 62, said four of his grandchildren, aged seven to ten, were among the abducted. “We don’t know what is happening now, because we have not heard anything since this morning,” he told The Associated Press. “The children who were able to escape have scattered … and the only information we are getting is that the attackers are still moving with the remaining children into the bush.”
The Niger State government had reportedly received intelligence warning of heightened threats in the area, but a statement noted that the school reopened without clearance from state authorities, putting students and staff at avoidable risk.
In response to the kidnappings, President Bola Tinubu cancelled his planned trip to the G20 summit in South Africa, with Vice President Kashim Shettima attending in his stead. The attacks come amid broader tensions over targeted violence against religious communities in Nigeria. Earlier this month, United States President Donald Trump threatened military action over attacks he described as targeting Christians, a claim rejected by the Nigerian government, which reports that Muslims are disproportionately affected by armed group attacks.
The twin school abductions and a recent church attack underscore the escalating security crisis in Africa’s most populous nation, highlighting both the vulnerability of educational institutions and the challenges faced by authorities in combating armed groups.
