An attack on St. Mary's School, a Catholic institution in Nigeria's north-central Niger state, resulted in the abduction of 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) provided this updated figure on Saturday, revising an initial count of 215 schoolchildren.
According to a statement from Most Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of the Niger state chapter of CAN, who visited the school on Friday, the revised tally followed a verification exercise. He reported that an additional 88 students were captured while attempting to escape during the attack. The abducted students are male and female, with ages ranging from 10 to 18.
This incident in Niger state's remote Papiri community occurred four days after a separate abduction of 25 schoolchildren in Maga town, Kebbi state, approximately 170 kilometers away. As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for either abduction. Authorities have stated that tactical squads, alongside local hunters, have been deployed to facilitate the rescue of the children.
CAN disputed a claim from the state government that St. Mary's School had reopened for studies. Reverend Yohanna stated that no circular regarding reopening was received and urged families to remain calm.
School kidnappings have become a recurring security challenge in Africa's most populous nation, with armed groups frequently targeting educational institutions. UNICEF reported last year that only 37% of schools across 10 conflict-affected states possess early warning systems to detect threats.
In response to the abductions, Niger state Governor Umar Bago announced on Saturday that all schools in the state would be closed indefinitely. This decision was made after a meeting with security officials in Minna, with Governor Bago stating it was a measure to protect lives and property.
The recent abductions coincide with various reports and claims regarding security challenges in Nigeria, including those made by former U.S. President Donald Trump concerning targeted killings against Christians. Attacks and insecurity in Nigeria have impacted both Christian and Muslim communities, exemplified by the earlier school attack in Kebbi state occurring in a Muslim-majority town. Separately, Nigerian National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu met with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday during a visit to the United States.