Armed men attacked St. Mary’s Catholic School in Nigeria’s Niger state early Friday, abducting students and staff in the latest school kidnapping to hit the country. The assault comes just days after 25 schoolgirls were seized in neighboring Kebbi state.
State government secretary Abubakar Usman confirmed the attack in Papiri community but did not specify how many were taken or who was responsible. Local broadcaster Arise TV reported that at least 52 schoolchildren were abducted.
The Niger State Police Command said the raid occurred in the early hours of Friday. Military and security forces have since been deployed to the area. St. Mary’s, a Catholic secondary school, serves children between the ages of 12 and 17.
Authorities noted that the incident happened despite prior warnings of heightened threats. In a statement, the state government criticized the school for reopening without clearance, saying this “exposed pupils and staff to avoidable risk.”
The attack follows Monday’s kidnapping of 25 schoolgirls in Maga, Kebbi state, about 170 kilometers away. One of the girls later escaped and is safe, according to the school principal.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has postponed his trip to the Group of 20 summit this weekend, pledging to intensify rescue efforts.
No group has claimed responsibility for the latest abductions, but analysts say gangs often former herders who clashed with farming communities frequently target schools, travelers, and villages for ransom.
School kidnappings have become a defining feature of Nigeria’s insecurity. Since Boko Haram abducted 276 Chibok schoolgirls in 2014, more than 1,500 students have been kidnapped across the region.
Analysts and residents blame the crisis on corruption, weak prosecutions, and limited resources for security forces, while armed groups continue to access weapons.
Nigeria’s security challenges recently drew global attention after U.S. President Donald Trump alleged that Christians were being persecuted in the country an accusation the Nigerian government rejected.
Satellite imagery shows St. Mary’s compound as a rectangular site surrounded by a wall, adjoining a primary school, with more than 50 classroom and dormitory buildings. It sits on the outskirts of Aguara, near the Yelwa-Mokwa road.
