Four days after the Monday abduction of dozens of students from a secondary school in Maga, Kebbi State, gunmen on Friday stormed the premises of another school, St. Mary’s School, a Catholic institution in Papiri community of Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, and abducted over 215 students and 12 staff members.
The Niger State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) placed the number of abductees at 227. The Chairman, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, said the figure comprised 215 students and 12 teachers.
“I just returned from the community this night after my visit to the school. I met with some parents of the children and assured them that efforts are being made, in collaboration with the government and security agencies, to ensure that the children are rescued and brought back safely.
“From our records, 215 pupils and students and 12 teachers were abducted by the terrorists. During the attack, some students escaped, and parents have started coming to pick up their children because the school has to be shut down,” he said.
Weekend Trust could not independently verify the figures, as neither the police nor the state government provided details despite efforts by our correspondent.
The attackers reportedly invaded the school around 2am and shot the security guard before gaining access to the hostel.
A truck seized from the community was used to move the students out of the school, but the vehicle broke down and the children were forced to continue on foot into the forest.
The Niger State Government blamed the school management for the incident.
The Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Usman, said the state had received intelligence reports of increased security threats in the area and had ordered the closure of all boarding schools, but St. Mary’s School failed to comply.
“This unfortunate incident comes despite prior intelligence reports indicating an increased threat level in parts of Niger North Senatorial District. In response, the state government suspended all construction activities and ordered the temporary closure of all boarding schools within the affected zone.
“Regrettably, St. Mary’s School resumed academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the state government, thereby exposing pupils and staff to avoidable risk,” he said.
The Niger State Police Command confirmed the attack in a statement.
The spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said joint security operatives have been deployed to rescue the students.
“The Niger State Police Command confirms that on 21 November 2025, at about 2am, armed bandits invaded St. Mary’s Private (Catholic) Secondary School, Papiri, Agwara LGA, and abducted a yet-to-be-ascertained number of students from the hostels.
“Police tactical units, military components, and other security agencies have moved to the scene and are combing the forests in an effort to rescue the abducted students.”
The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora also confirmed that teachers were among those kidnapped. The Diocesan Secretary, Fr. Jatau Luka Joseph, noted that a security operative was severely injured.
“This is to inform us that armed attackers invaded St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri in the early hours of 21 November 2025, abducting some pupils, students, teachers, and a security officer who was badly shot. The incident occurred between 1am and 3am,” he said.
These incidents, along with other recent attacks, have heightened concerns over the worsening security situation in the country. School attacks have become more frequent, disrupting academic activities and forcing many states to shut down schools.
The Federal Ministry of Education yesterday ordered the immediate closure of 41 federal unity colleges nationwide.
According to a circular signed by Hajia Binta Abdulkadir, Director of Senior Secondary Education, the ministry cited rising security challenges and the need to prevent breaches.
