More than 200 students and a dozen teachers were abducted early Friday when armed bandits stormed a private Catholic school in Nigeria’s north-central Niger State, intensifying national outrage over a surge in violence targeting Christian communities.
The attackers raided St. Mary’s Catholic School in the Paikoro area before dawn, forcing hundreds of children into nearby forests. While some students managed to escape, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said 215 students and 12 teachers were taken.
Parents rushed to the school throughout the day to retrieve their children ahead of an ordered shutdown, according to CAN’s Niger State chairman, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna.
Yohanna, who visited the school and met distraught families, said the association is working with state authorities and security agencies to secure the victims’ safe release. His spokesman described the situation as “deeply traumatic” for parents and the wider Christian community.
The Niger State government condemned the abduction but said the exact number of missing pupils is still being confirmed. Police said security forces have been dispatched and are “combing the forests” in search of the kidnapped children.
The mass abduction comes amid a string of violent attacks on Christian institutions across northern Nigeria this week. In neighboring Kwara State, gunmen stormed a church, killing at least two people and kidnapping several worshippers, including the pastor.
Separately, armed men abducted 25 female students from a government girls’ boarding school in Kebbi State, where the school’s vice principal was shot dead during the raid.
Nigeria has grappled with waves of school kidnappings and banditry for years, with attacks intensifying despite increased military deployments.
CAN Niger State chapter chairman meets with the parents of the kidnapped children.
(Christian Association of Nigeria)
Christian groups have warned that the latest incidents reflect a worsening pattern of targeted violence and have called for stronger federal protection for vulnerable communities.
Security operations remain ongoing as families await news of the abducted students and teachers.
Source: CNN
Written By Rodney Mbua
