Mass Kidnapping Rocks Nigerian School Community
In one of Nigeria's largest mass abductions, more than 300 students and teachers were kidnapped from St Mary's co-education school in Niger state during an early Friday raid. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) initially reported 227 victims, but a subsequent verification exercise confirmed the shocking scale: 303 students and 12 teachers were taken captive.
Government Response and Security Measures
The Nigerian government has implemented emergency measures following the attack. Niger state governor Mohammed Umar Bago immediately ordered the closure of all schools in Niger state while security forces conduct headcount operations. The national education ministry expanded this precaution, mandating the shutdown of 47 boarding secondary schools nationwide.
Demonstrating the crisis's severity, President Bola Tinubu cancelled his international engagements, including plans to attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to focus on the domestic security emergency. The intelligence department and police are leading rescue efforts for the missing children, who range in age from eight to 18 years.
Growing Security Crisis and International Pressure
This mass kidnapping represents the latest in a series of security challenges facing Africa's most populous nation. The attack followed another school assault just days earlier in neighbouring Kebbi state, where gunmen abducted 25 girls. In a separate incident on Tuesday, two people were killed and dozens kidnapped during an attack on a church service being broadcast online.
The United States has increased pressure on Nigerian authorities, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urging Abuja to take urgent and enduring action to stop violence against Christians during talks with Nigerian National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu. This comes after former US President Donald Trump threatened military action over what he described as the killing of Christians by radical Islamists in Nigeria.
The tragedy evokes painful memories of the 2014 Chibok abduction, where Boko Haram jihadists kidnapped approximately 300 girls from northeastern Borno state - some of whom remain missing more than a decade later.
Eyewitness Accounts and Attack Details
Staff members recounted the horror of the prolonged assault. In video footage shared by CAN, an unidentified staff member described hearing motorcycles and cars before serious banging on different gates of the compound. Children were crying throughout the three-hour attack as gunmen moved aggressively through dormitories.
The local Catholic diocese told AFP that the attackers operated without interruption for nearly three hours. A security guard was heard groaning during the commotion before the gang drove away with their captives. The abducted students represent almost half of St Mary's total student population of 629.
While no group has claimed responsibility, security analysts note that heavily armed criminal gangs often called bandits frequently target schools in rural areas due to low security. Although primarily motivated by ransom payments, their growing connections with jihadist groups from northeast Nigeria have raised serious concerns among authorities.
