In a shocking escalation of school-kidnappings in Nigeria, armed attackers abducted 303 children and 12 staff members from a Catholic boarding school in the remote community of Papiri, Niger state. The raid comes only days after another abduction of 25 schoolgirls in neighbouring Kebbi state, underscoring the urgency of Nigeria’s widening security crisis.
Attack on Boarding School: Details of the Kidnapping
According to local church officials, the gunmen stormed Christian Association of Nigeria-affiliated St Mary’s School in Papiri early morning, seizing students between the ages of 10 and 18. After an on-site verification exercise, the total number of victims was confirmed at 303 children plus 12 teachers. In addition, about 88 students were captured when attempting to escape the assault.
Authorities have yet to name the perpetrators or any group claiming responsibility. Tactical rescue units and local volunteer “hunters” have reportedly been deployed to the region.
A Secondary Incident and Broader Security Concerns
Just four days earlier in Kebbi state, 25 girls were abducted from a high school in Maga town, and one staff member was killed — marking yet another alarming incident in a string of raids across Nigeria’s north. Analysts say that schools are increasingly seen as soft targets by armed gangs seeking attention, ransom or political leverage, contributing to the collapse of education in conflict-affected areas.
The country’s largest Christian organisation in Niger state also criticised an official government claim that classes had resumed at St Mary’s — the church said no formal reopening notice had been issued and called for calm and prayer among families of the missing.
