New Wave of School Abductions in Nigeria: Armed Men Target Catholic School

Sun Nov 23 2025 11:40:27 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a chilling act of violence, armed assailants abducted students from a Catholic school in Niger state, marking the second such incident in a week amidst security concerns in central Nigeria.

A new abduction from a Catholic school in Niger state has raised alarms as armed men kidnapped an unknown number of pupils during a night raid. This follows a recent wave of school kidnappings, with authorities previously warning schools to close due to increased security threats. The Nigerian government's response and the ongoing issue of violence against educational institutions remain critical concerns.

An unknown number of pupils have been abducted by armed men from a Catholic school in central Nigeria, marking the second school kidnapping in less than a week.

The latest attack targeted St Mary's School in Papiri, Niger state, where authorities had already ordered the temporary closure of all boarding schools due to rising security threats.

Details remain unclear but residents fear that close to 100 students and staff may have been taken away during the early-morning raid.

Nigeria has faced a renewed wave of attacks by armed groups in recent days, including the kidnapping on Monday of more than 20 schoolgirls from a boarding school in nearby Kebbi state.

Police said armed men - locally known as bandits - stormed St Mary's School on Friday at about 02:00 local time (01:00 GMT) and abducted an unconfirmed number of students from their hostel.

Fear and uncertainty have gripped the area as families wait for news. The authorities in Niger state said the school had disregarded an order to close all boarding facilities following intelligence warnings of a heightened risk of attacks.

Regrettably, St Mary's School proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the state government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk, they said in a statement.

Police said that security agencies were combing the forests with a view to rescue the abducted students.

This attack has triggered discussions surrounding the security situation in Nigeria, particularly regarding the treatment of Christians. It follows claims by US President Donald Trump that Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria, which have been dismissed by the Nigerian government.

On Tuesday, gunmen opened fire on a church in south-western Kwara state, killing two people and abducting 38 others as the service was being broadcast online.

Moreover, two of the students abducted earlier this week in Kebbi state managed to escape, while 23 remain unaccounted for.

In light of these distressing events, President Bola Tinubu has postponed foreign trips to address the rising tide of violence across the country.