Gunmen have abducted 303 pupils 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. CAN updated the figure from an earlier count of 215 pupils after a verification and final census, and its Niger state chairman, the Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, visited the school to assess the situation.
Yohanna said 88 students were captured after attempting to escape. The abducted boys and girls are reported to be between 10 and 18 years old.
The attack follows another kidnapping four days earlier, when 25 schoolchildren were seized in Maga town in neighboring Kebbi state. No group has claimed responsibility for either incident. Authorities have deployed tactical squads and local volunteer hunters to try to rescue the captives.
Yohanna challenged a state government statement that the school had reopened, saying families received no circular and urging parents to remain calm and prayerful. Niger state has closed all schools to reduce the risk of further abductions; Governor Umar Bago told reporters the measure was taken after a security meeting in Minna and described the closures as a statewide holiday until further notice.
School abductions have become a widespread security problem in Nigeria, with armed gangs often targeting educational institutions. UNICEF reported last year that only 37 percent of schools across 10 conflict-affected states have early warning systems to detect threats. The incidents are unfolding while national security adviser Nuhu Ribadu is visiting the United States and met U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, amid broader international attention and statements by U.S. leaders about violence affecting religious communities. Attacks in Nigeria have affected both Christians and Muslims.