PAPIRI, Niger State — Fear and uncertainty have gripped central Nigeria after armed men stormed St Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State, abducting an unknown number of students and staff in a brazen early-morning raid.
The attack, which occurred on Friday at approximately 02:00 local time (01:00 GMT), marks the second mass abduction of schoolchildren in Nigeria in less than a week, forcing President Bola Tinubu to abruptly postpone his attendance at the G20 summit in South Africa to address the deteriorating security situation.
The raid: “It took everybody by surprise”
According to police and local residents, the assailants, locally referred to as “bandits,” invaded the boarding school hostels under the cover of darkness.
While official figures are yet to be released, terrified residents fear that close to 100 students and staff may have been taken into the surrounding forests.
Dominic Adamu, a local resident whose daughters attend the school but narrowly escaped abduction, described the community’s devastation.
“Everybody is weak… it took everybody by surprise,” Mr. Adamu said. “People are complaining about the state of security in our country.”
Another distressed woman, speaking through tears, confirmed that her two nieces, aged just six and 13, were among those snatched.
“I just want them to come home,” she pleaded.
Police authorities stated that security agencies are currently “combing the forests with a view to rescue the abducted students.”
Blame game: Government vs. School
In a controversial move, the Niger State government appeared to shift responsibility for the tragedy onto the school administration.
Authorities claimed that St Mary’s School had defied an existing directive to close all boarding facilities due to intelligence warnings of imminent 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,” the state government said in a statement.
The school administration has not yet commented on these allegations.
A week of terror across Nigeria
This incident is part of a renewed and overlapping wave of violence striking multiple regions of Africa’s most populous nation:
- Kebbi State (Monday): Gunmen kidnapped more than 20 schoolgirls from a boarding school in Maga. While two have managed to escape, 23 remain missing. Two people were killed during the raid. Contrary to religious narratives often pushed internationally, reports indicate the victims were Muslim.
- Kwara State: In the southwest, a church service in Eruku was attacked while being broadcast online. Two people were killed, and 38 congregants were abducted. Local media report that the kidnappers have already demanded a ransom.
Geopolitical fallout and religious tensions
The surge in violence has triggered international diplomatic friction. The attack on the Catholic school follows incendiary remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently alleged that Christians are being systematically persecuted in Nigeria. Trump threatened to send troops “guns a-blazing” if the government “continues to allow the killing of Christians.”
On Friday evening, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed he had met with Nigeria’s national security advisor to discuss the issue.
The Nigerian government has vehemently dismissed Trump’s claims as “a gross misrepresentation of reality,” arguing that criminal gangs target victims indiscriminately.
“Terrorists attack all who reject their murderous ideology – Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike,” a Nigerian official stated.
Analysts note that while violence often falls along ethnic and religious lines, such as clashes between largely Muslim herders and largely Christian farmers in the central belt, the root causes are frequently competition for land and water resources rather than religious ideology.
Furthermore, in the north-east, where jihadist groups have battled the state for a decade, the majority of victims have been Muslim.
President Tinubu under pressure
With 220 million citizens looking for answers, the pressure is mounting on President Tinubu.
His decision to cancel foreign trips signals the gravity of the crisis, but for parents waiting by the phone for ransom demands, which are technically illegal but often paid, political gestures offer little comfort.
