Panic and fear spread through central Nigeria on Friday after gunmen kidnapped more than 200 students from a Catholic school, marking the country’s second major school abduction in a matter of days.
The attack targeted St Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger state, which had been ordered to keep boarding facilities closed following warnings of increased security threats.
According to the Christian Association of Nigeria, 215 pupils and 12 staff members were taken during the predawn raid. Police reported that the armed attackers, often referred to locally as bandits, struck the school at about 02:00 local time (01:00 GMT), seizing students from their hostel while the campus slept.
Residents expressed shock at the assault. “Everybody is weak... it took everybody by surprise,” said Dominic Adamu, a local whose daughters attend the school but were not abducted. “People are complaining about the state of security in our country.”
Among the kidnapped were children as young as six. One woman, whose nieces were taken, spoke through tears: "I just want them to come home."
Niger state officials said the school ignored government directives to suspend boarding, reopening despite clear warnings.
"Regrettably, St Mary's School proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the state government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk," their statement said. The school has not commented on this accusation.
Police confirmed that security forces are actively “combing the forests with a view to rescue the abducted students.”
This attack follows multiple recent kidnappings in Nigeria. On Monday, more than 20 schoolgirls were abducted from a boarding school in neighboring Kebbi state; the victims are reportedly Muslim. A church in Kwara state was also attacked, leaving two dead and 38 taken while a service was being streamed online.
President Bola Tinubu has postponed foreign engagements, including the G20 summit in South Africa, to focus on the mounting security crisis.
International attention has intensified after US President Donald Trump alleged Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria, a claim the government rejects.
Trump warned he would send troops “guns a-blazing” if killings continue. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also urged the Nigerian government to take "urgent and enduring action to stop violence against Christians" while offering American support to counter terrorist threats.
Nigeria’s authorities insist that extremists target all citizens regardless of faith. An official said, "terrorists attack all who reject their murderous ideology - Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike." Analysts note that while religion sometimes plays a role, many incidents are driven by criminal activity, resource disputes, or regional insurgencies.
Kidnapping for ransom has become widespread, particularly in northern and central Nigeria, despite legal prohibitions on paying ransoms. In the Kebbi state abduction earlier this week, two girls escaped, but 23 remain missing, alongside the two fatalities.
With a population of roughly 220 million divided between Muslims and Christians, Nigeria continues to face complex and overlapping security challenges, including jihadist insurgencies in the northeast and deadly clashes over land and water in central regions.
