Nigeria is once again grappling with a disturbing surge in school kidnappings after gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, early Friday, seizing several students and staff members. Although officials have not released the exact figure, Arise TV reports that as many as 52 schoolchildren were taken.
Niger State government secretary Abubakar Usman said the attack happened despite earlier intelligence alerts about rising threats in the area. He faulted the school for resuming activities “without notifying or seeking clearance from the State Government, thereby exposing pupils and staff to unnecessary danger.”
Police confirmed that the kidnapping took place before dawn and that military and security teams have already been dispatched to pursue the attackers.
This latest incident follows the abduction of 25 schoolgirls in neighbouring Kebbi State earlier this week, an attack in which at least one school employee was killed.
Although no group has claimed responsibility so far, Nigeria has struggled for years with multiple kidnapping factions, from Boko Haram, behind the notorious 2014 Chibok abduction to armed criminal groups commonly referred to as bandits.
The ongoing assaults highlight the worsening security challenges across the country, leaving families once more in anguish as they wait for any word about their missing children.
