More than 300 children and teachers have been kidnapped from St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger state, in what authorities now say is one of the largest mass abductions in Nigeria’s history.
The Christian Association of Nigeria reported that 303 students and 12 staff were taken in the early hours of Friday morning, revising its initial estimate after a verification process.
Armed men stormed the boarding school at around 2am, dragging away nearly half its student population, prompting desperate scenes from parents and relatives.
Security forces are now searching nearby forests, while officials criticise the school for allegedly ignoring warnings to shut dormitories amid intelligence reports of elevated kidnapping risks.
The attack is the latest in a surge of abductions by criminal “bandit” groups, coming just days after two other mass kidnappings in neighbouring states. President Bola Tinubu has cancelled foreign travel to deal with the escalating crisis as federal colleges and public schools shut across several regions.
The abduction has reignited global debate over violence in Nigeria, with some US political figures claiming Christians are being targeted — an allegation the Nigerian government rejects, saying extremists attack people of all faiths. The tragedy also draws comparisons to the 2014 Chibok abduction, where 276 girls were taken by Boko Haram, about 100 of whom remain missing.
CAN Confirms 227 Abducted in Attack on St. Mary’s School, Niger State
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State chapter, has confirmed that 227 people were abducted after armed bandits raided St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara LGA,… pic.twitter.com/KHBoQYlzFY
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The world could intervene if there were mineral resources to be had however there aren’t so they don’t really give a shit