Nigeria is once again facing a surge in school kidnappings after armed men attacked St. Mary’s Catholic Secondary School in Papiri area of Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State in the early hours of Friday and abducted an unknown number of students. The incident was the second major school kidnapping in less than a week, adding to fears among residents already facing growing insecurity.
Initial reports suggested that 50 to 100 students may have been removed, but authorities said the exact number remained unclear as security agencies continued to assess. The attack took place between 3am and 4am, with heavily armed assailants storming the school compound, forcing students into a waiting vehicle and fleeing before security personnel could intervene.
Mohammed Inuwa, senior legislative assistant to the Rt. Dear. Jafar Mohamed Ali confirmed the attack, noting that local government authorities and police had been informed immediately. “It happened around 3 to 4 a.m. and the number of students kidnapped has not yet been determined,” he said.
Wasiu Abiodun, spokesman for the Niger State Police Command, acknowledged the incident but said details were still being verified. “Please let me check,” he told reporters, without providing further information about the rescue operation or arrests.
The kidnapping comes just days after 25 schoolgirls were abducted from a boarding school in Kebbi state, underlining renewed violence by armed groups in northern and central Nigeria. The escalation prompted President Bola Tinubu to postpone a planned trip abroad to focus on national security.
The Niger state government expressed deep concern over the latest attack and revealed that authorities had earlier issued a security intelligence warning of heightened threats in parts of Niger’s northern senatorial district. The state has ordered the temporary closure of all boarding schools in vulnerable areas as a precautionary measure.
However, according to a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, St. Mary’s School resumed academic activities without informing or obtaining permission from the government, a move that officials said exposed students and staff to “avoidable risks.”
“It is regrettable that St. Mary’s School has reopened and resumed academic activities without notifying or seeking permission from the state,” the statement said, emphasizing that the warning was clear and recent. The government condemned the kidnapping, calling it a tragic consequence of ignoring security directives.
Officials confirmed that a comprehensive investigation and coordinated search and rescue operations are underway, and security agencies in the affected areas have been mobilized. The government urges school administrators, religious institutions and community leaders to strictly adhere to existing safety guidelines to help prevent further incidents.
“Protecting life, especially the lives of our children, remains the top priority of this administration,” the statement added, calling on residents to remain calm and cooperate with security personnel.
As communities in Niger state and across Nigeria prepare for more information, the latest attack has renewed questions about the country’s ability to protect schools – an issue that has dogged the education sector since the Chibok abductions a decade ago. With two major school kidnappings in one week, the urgency of increased security has never been more apparent.
