More than 300 children and staff are now thought to have been kidnapped by gunmen from a Catholic school in central Nigeria, making it one of the worst mass abductions the country has seen. The Christian Association of Nigeria stated that 303 students and 12 teachers were taken from St Mary's School in Papiri, Niger state - significantly more than previously estimated. This grim development comes amid a surge of attacks by armed groups, with the revised number surpassing the 276 abducted during the infamous Chibok kidnappings of 2014.
Local police reported that armed men stormed the school around 02:00 local time on Friday morning, abducting students who were staying at the facility. Dominic Adamu, whose daughters attend the school but were not taken, described the shock felt in the community. Distressed families are left concerned for their loved ones, with one woman tearfully expressing her fear for her two nieces, ages six and 13.
Authorities have launched efforts to rescue the abducted students, combing nearby forests for leads. Initially reported figures indicated 215 pupils were abducted, but this number has now been confirmed to be nearly half of the school's total enrollment.
In light of the heightened risk of attacks, state officials highlighted that the school disregarded warnings ordering closures of all boarding facilities in the region. In response to the growing insecurity, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu postponed foreign engagements to focus on domestic security issues, with school closures implemented across numerous federal colleges.
The abduction highlights an ongoing crisis in Nigeria, where the payment of ransoms is prohibited in a bid to disrupt the financial ecosystem of criminal gangs. This incident marks the third notable kidnapping case in Nigeria just this week, following earlier attacks in Kebbi and Kwara states, intensifying calls from citizens for stronger security measures to protect children and communities from violence.
Local police reported that armed men stormed the school around 02:00 local time on Friday morning, abducting students who were staying at the facility. Dominic Adamu, whose daughters attend the school but were not taken, described the shock felt in the community. Distressed families are left concerned for their loved ones, with one woman tearfully expressing her fear for her two nieces, ages six and 13.
Authorities have launched efforts to rescue the abducted students, combing nearby forests for leads. Initially reported figures indicated 215 pupils were abducted, but this number has now been confirmed to be nearly half of the school's total enrollment.
In light of the heightened risk of attacks, state officials highlighted that the school disregarded warnings ordering closures of all boarding facilities in the region. In response to the growing insecurity, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu postponed foreign engagements to focus on domestic security issues, with school closures implemented across numerous federal colleges.
The abduction highlights an ongoing crisis in Nigeria, where the payment of ransoms is prohibited in a bid to disrupt the financial ecosystem of criminal gangs. This incident marks the third notable kidnapping case in Nigeria just this week, following earlier attacks in Kebbi and Kwara states, intensifying calls from citizens for stronger security measures to protect children and communities from violence.
