ABUJA, Nigeria — Gunmen abducted 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in the Papiri community of Niger state, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said Saturday, updating an earlier count of 215 pupils after a verification and final census. CAN’s Niger state chairman, the Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who visited the school, said 88 other students “were also captured after they tried to escape.” The abducted students, both boys and girls, are reported to be between 10 and 18 years old.
The attack came four days after 25 schoolchildren were seized in Maga town in neighboring Kebbi state. No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnappings. Authorities have deployed tactical squads and local hunters to attempt rescues.
Yohanna disputed a state government claim that the school had reopened, saying no circular was received and urging families to remain calm and prayerful. Niger state has closed all schools to prevent further kidnappings; Gov. Umar Bago told reporters the decision was made after meeting security officials in Minna and described the closures as a statewide holiday until further notice.
The wave of school abductions has become a defining feature of insecurity in Africa’s most populous nation, with armed gangs often targeting schools for attention. UNICEF reported last year that only 37% of schools across 10 conflict-hit states have early warning systems to detect threats. The recent incidents are unfolding as Nigeria’s national security adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, was visiting the U.S., where he met Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertions of targeted killings against Christians in Nigeria; attacks in the country have affected both Christians and Muslims.