Newsbreak: Bandits strike Christian school in Niger, abduct students
By Samuel Ogunsona
A fresh wave of insecurity has hit Niger, the North Central State.
On Thursday, heavily armed terrorists launched a brazen attack on St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, kidnapping an undetermined number of students and staff.
This is the second incidence in less than one month that student of secondary schools would be kidnapped in Nigeria.
No fewer than 25 pupils were kidnapped in a school in Kebbi, North West of Nigeria.
The incident has sparked widespread concern about the safety of educational institutions in northern Nigeria.
Local sources told Irohinoodua that the attack occurred in the dead of night, catching residents off guard and highlighting the growing vulnerability of schools in the region. Although details are still emerging, sources close to the school confirm that several students were taken during the raid.
A church official, familiar with the school’s operations, confirmed the incident but declined to provide specifics, stating that administrators were still verifying the number of missing individuals.
“The Catholic authorities prefer to speak only when the facts are fully established,” the official said, adding that a formal statement would be issued soon.
Security agencies have yet to release comprehensive information about the attack.
The Niger State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, promised to provide updates later.
However, the Agwara Local Government’s Head of Disaster and Relief, Ahmed Abdullahi Rofia, confirmed the attack, saying the gunmen stormed the school between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m.
He noted that a full assessment was ongoing to determine the exact number of abducted students and staff.
This incident follows a string of recent attacks on schools in the Northwest. In a recent incident, 25 female students were kidnapped from a secondary school in Maga, Kebbi State. The recurring pattern of school-related abductions has sparked fears among parents, education authorities, and local communities.
A security analyst in Minna observed that “schools are becoming pressure points in the broader insecurity crisis,” urging the government to adopt stronger monitoring systems in rural institutions.
