Nigeria is again confronting a troubling surge in school kidnappings after armed men attacked St. Mary’s Catholic Secondary School in the Papiri area of Agwara Local Government Area, Niger State, abducting an unknown number of pupils in the early hours of Friday. The incident marks the second major school kidnapping in less than a week and has heightened panic among residents already grappling with rising insecurity.
Initial reports suggest that between 50 and 100 students may have been taken, though authorities say the exact number remains unclear as security agencies continue their assessment. The attack occurred between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., when heavily armed assailants stormed the school compound, forced students into a waiting vehicle, and fled before security operatives could intervene.
Mohammed Inuwa, senior legislative aide to Rt. Hon. Jafar Muhammad Ali, confirmed the attack, noting that the local government authorities and police had been immediately informed. “It happened around 3 to 4 am, and the number of students abducted is not yet confirmed,” he said.
The spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun, acknowledged the incident but stated that verification of details was still ongoing. “Let me verify, please,” he told journalists, offering no further information about rescue operations or arrests.
The abduction comes just days after 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped from a boarding school in Kebbi State, underscoring a renewed wave of violent attacks by armed groups in northern and central Nigeria. The escalation has prompted President Bola Tinubu to postpone scheduled foreign trips to focus on national security.
The Niger State Government expressed deep concern over the latest attack, revealing that authorities had earlier issued security intelligence warning of heightened threats in parts of the Niger North Senatorial District. As a precaution, the state had ordered the temporary closure of all boarding schools within vulnerable areas.
However, according to a statement signed by Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, St. Mary’s School resumed academic activities without notifying or securing clearance from the government—a move officials say put students and staff at “avoidable risk.”
“Regrettably, St. Mary’s School proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the State Government,” the statement said, emphasizing that the warning had been clear and recent. The government condemned the abduction, describing it as a tragic consequence of ignoring safety directives.
Officials confirmed that full-scale investigations and coordinated search-and-rescue operations are underway, with security agencies mobilized across the affected region. The government urged school administrators, religious institutions, and community leaders to strictly comply with existing security guidelines to help prevent further incidents.
“The protection of lives, especially those of our children, remains the utmost priority of this administration,” the statement added, calling on residents to stay calm and cooperate with security operatives.
As communities in Niger State and across Nigeria brace for more information, this latest attack raises renewed questions about the nation’s ability to safeguard schools—an issue that has plagued the education sector since the Chibok abductions a decade ago. With two major school kidnappings occurring within a week, the urgency for strengthened security measures has never been more apparent.
Post a Comment