More than 300 children and staff are now thought to have been kidnapped by gunmen from a Catholic school in central Nigeria, making it one of the worst mass abductions the country has seen. The Christian Association of Nigeria said 303 students and 12 teachers were taken from St Mary's School in Papiri, Niger state - substantially more than previously estimated. It said the figures have been revised upwards after a verification exercise. The kidnapping comes amid a surge of attacks by armed groups. The revised number of people taken surpasses the 276 abducted during the infamous Chibok mass abduction of 2014.
Local police said armed men stormed the school at around 02:00 local time (01:00 GMT) on Friday morning, abducting students who were staying there. Dominic Adamu, whose daughters attend the school but were not taken, told the BBC: Everybody is weak... it took everybody by surprise. One distressed woman tearfully told the BBC that her nieces, aged six and 13, had been kidnapped, adding: I just want them to come home.
Police said that security agencies were combing the forests with a view to rescue the abducted students. It was initially reported that 215 pupils had been taken - but that figure has since been revised upwards. The authorities in Niger state indicated that the school disregarded an order to close all boarding facilities following intelligence warnings of a heightened risk of attacks, thereby exposing pupils and staff to avoidable risk.
The kidnapping for ransom by criminal gangs, referred to as bandits, has become a persistent problem in many parts of Nigeria. While the payment of ransoms has been outlawed in an attempt to diminish funding for these criminal groups, the situation remains unchanged. On the same week as this mass abduction, over 20 schoolgirls were kidnapped from a boarding school in neighbouring Kebbi state, and additional attacks also occurred in Kwara state.
In response to the growing insecurity, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has postponed international trips and ordered the closure of more than 40 federal colleges and public schools in vulnerable areas. Citizens are increasingly imploring the government for proactive measures to safeguard children and communities. The situation reflects long-standing concerns regarding safety and governance in Nigeria, presenting a complex challenge for authorities and a deepening crisis for affected families.
Local police said armed men stormed the school at around 02:00 local time (01:00 GMT) on Friday morning, abducting students who were staying there. Dominic Adamu, whose daughters attend the school but were not taken, told the BBC: Everybody is weak... it took everybody by surprise. One distressed woman tearfully told the BBC that her nieces, aged six and 13, had been kidnapped, adding: I just want them to come home.
Police said that security agencies were combing the forests with a view to rescue the abducted students. It was initially reported that 215 pupils had been taken - but that figure has since been revised upwards. The authorities in Niger state indicated that the school disregarded an order to close all boarding facilities following intelligence warnings of a heightened risk of attacks, thereby exposing pupils and staff to avoidable risk.
The kidnapping for ransom by criminal gangs, referred to as bandits, has become a persistent problem in many parts of Nigeria. While the payment of ransoms has been outlawed in an attempt to diminish funding for these criminal groups, the situation remains unchanged. On the same week as this mass abduction, over 20 schoolgirls were kidnapped from a boarding school in neighbouring Kebbi state, and additional attacks also occurred in Kwara state.
In response to the growing insecurity, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has postponed international trips and ordered the closure of more than 40 federal colleges and public schools in vulnerable areas. Citizens are increasingly imploring the government for proactive measures to safeguard children and communities. The situation reflects long-standing concerns regarding safety and governance in Nigeria, presenting a complex challenge for authorities and a deepening crisis for affected families.
