Mass Abduction in Nigeria: Over 300 Children and Staff Taken from School

Sun Nov 23 2025 11:41:53 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A staggering 315 individuals, including students and teachers, were kidnapped by armed men during a nighttime attack on St Mary's School in Niger state, marking one of Nigeria's most significant mass abductions to date.

In a shocking incident in Nigeria, more than 300 individuals, primarily students, were abducted by gunmen from St Mary's School in Papiri, Niger state. The incident represents one of the country's worst mass kidnappings, with the total count revised to 315, surpassing the infamous Chibok kidnappings of 2014. Despite extensive efforts by security agencies to rescue the victims, the situation underscores the escalating insecurity and violence affecting education in the region.

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 kidnappings of 2014.

Local police reported that armed men stormed the school at around 02:00 local time (01:00 GMT) on Friday morning, abducting students who were boarding 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 shared that her nieces, aged six and 13, had been kidnapped, saying: I just want them to come home. Police stated that security agencies were combing the forests with a view to rescue the abducted students.

Initially, it was reported that 215 pupils had been taken, but that figure has since been revised upwards. The new number is believed to be almost half of the school's student population, according to the news agency AFP.

Authorities in Niger state indicated that the school had disregarded an order to close all boarding facilities following intelligence warnings of a heightened risk of attacks. They said in a statement the move exposed pupils and staff to avoidable risk. The school has not commented on that claim.

Kidnapping for ransom by criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, has escalated into a significant issue in many regions of Nigeria. Although the payment of ransoms has been outlawed in an attempt to cut off funds to these criminal groups, this has yielded little result. Friday's mass abduction was the third such attack in Nigeria within a week.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has postponed his international travels, including attending the G20 summit, to address these security issues. In response to rising insecurity, the federal government has closed over 40 federal colleges and shuttered public schools in certain states, with citizens increasingly demanding stronger measures to protect children and communities.