In a brazen early-morning raid, an unknown number of pupils have been kidnapped by armed men from St Mary’s Catholic School in Niger state, central Nigeria. This marks the second mass school abduction in the country in less than a week, signaling a alarming resurgence of a tactic that had subsided in recent years.
The attack occurred around 02:00 local time on Friday, when gunmen, locally referred to as “bandits,” stormed the school’s hostel. While official numbers are unconfirmed, local residents fear close to 100 students and staff may have been taken. The Niger state government revealed that the school had “disregarded” a direct order to close all boarding facilities due to specific intelligence about a heightened risk of attacks.
“Security agencies are combing the forests with a view to rescue the abducted students,” police said in a statement. The incident follows the kidnapping of over 20 schoolgirls from a boarding school in nearby Kebbi state on Monday, two of whom have since escaped.
The wave of violence has drawn international attention, with US President Donald Trump recently alleging the persecution of Christians in Nigeria—a claim the Nigerian government has strongly denied, stating that terrorists “attack all who reject their murderous ideology.” The abducted students in Kebbi were reportedly Muslim, underscoring the complex and sectarian nature of the violence.
In response to the escalating crisis, President Bola Tinubu has postponed his foreign trips to focus on the nation’s security emergency.
By James Kisoo
