Terrorists have struck again in Nigeria’s troubled North-Central region, abducting an unconfirmed number of students and staff from St. Mary’s School in the Papiri community of Agwara Local Government Area, Niger State.
The Catholic institution was raided in the early hours of Friday, leaving the community in shock as authorities scramble to determine the exact number of victims taken during the brazen overnight assault.
Ahmed Abdullahi Rofia, Head of Department for Disaster and Relief in Agwara Local Government Area, confirmed the incident occurred between 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. Friday morning. “The exact number of abductees remains uncertain as authorities continue their assessment,” Rofia stated in a telephone interview.
A source within the Catholic Church in Niger State verified the abduction to Daily Trust but declined to provide specific details, explaining that school officials were still compiling attendance records to identify missing students and staff members. “Yes, it is true, but I am not in a position to give details. The church will issue an official statement later in the day,” the church source said.
The Niger State Police Command, through spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun, has promised to provide updates as the situation develops.
The Papiri attack represents the latest in a disturbing surge of school abductions across northern Nigeria. Just days earlier, gunmen kidnapped 25 students from a secondary school in Maga, Kebbi State, while Thursday saw over 50 schools shut down across parts of Kwara State due to renewed bandit attacks that have terrorized local communities.
The escalating crisis has forced President Bola Tinubu to cancel scheduled international trips to South Africa and Angola as he coordinates national response efforts to the security emergency.
Security agencies have launched search-and-rescue operations to locate and free the abducted students and staff, though details of the operation remain scarce as authorities work to secure the area. The community now awaits an official briefing from both church authorities and government officials on the full extent of the abduction and ongoing rescue efforts.
The attack underscores the worsening security situation plaguing Nigeria’s North-Central and North-West regions, where armed groups have increasingly targeted educational institutions, disrupting learning and displacing thousands of families.
