Armed Men Abduct Students from Catholic School in Nigeria

Fri Nov 21 2025 15:51:31 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

An alarming attack at St. Mary's School in central Nigeria has led to the abduction of an undetermined number of pupils, continuing a disturbing trend of school kidnappings in the region.

In the early hours of November 21, armed attackers abducted an unknown number of students from St. Mary's School in Niger state, Nigeria. This assault marks the second recent school kidnapping in the area. Despite prior government orders to close boarding facilities due to security threats, the school resumed operations, leading to fears that nearly 100 individuals, including students and staff, may have been taken. As local authorities launch rescue operations, the situation remains tense amid rising insecurity in the region.

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.

The attack follows claims by US President Donald Trump that Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria, an allegation dismissed by the Nigerian government.

Earlier this month, Trump said he would send troops into Nigeria guns a-blazing if its government continues to allow the killing of Christians.

The Nigerian government has pushed back on these claims, describing them as a gross misrepresentation of reality.

An official said that terrorists attack all who reject their murderous ideology - Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike.

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.

However, the BBC has been told that the students abducted earlier this week in Kebbi state were Muslim. Two managed to escape, while 23 are still missing.

President Bola Tinubu this week postponed his foreign trips to address the rising wave of attacks across Africa's most populous country.