MINNA, Nigeria — Nigeria is facing yet another wave of distressing school kidnappings after armed men attacked St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, early Friday, abducting several students and staff.
Authorities have not confirmed the exact number taken, but local broadcaster Arise TV reported that 52 schoolchildren were kidnapped.
Government Criticism
Niger State government secretary Abubakar Usman said the attack occurred despite intelligence warnings of heightened threats. He criticized the school for reopening “without notifying or seeking clearance from the State Government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk.”
Security Response
Police confirmed the abductions happened before dawn and said military and security units have been deployed to track the attackers.
Recent Pattern of Attacks
The incident comes just days after 25 schoolgirls were abducted from a high school in neighboring Kebbi State, where at least one staff member was killed.
No group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack, but Nigeria has long battled kidnapping networks ranging from Boko Haram — responsible for the infamous Chibok schoolgirl abduction in 2014 — to heavily armed criminal gangs known locally as bandits.
Deepening Crisis
The repeated attacks underscore Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, leaving families once again waiting anxiously for news of their missing children.