More than 300 children and staff are now thought to have been kidnapped by gunmen from a Catholic school in central Nigeria, making it one of the worst mass abductions the country has seen. The Christian Association of Nigeria reported that 303 students and 12 teachers were taken from St Mary's School in Papiri, Niger state - a significant increase from earlier estimates due to a verification exercise.
The kidnapping has occurred amidst a surge of attacks by armed groups, surpassing the 276 abducted during the infamous Chibok kidnappings of 2014. Local police reported that armed men stormed the school around 02:00 local time, taking students who were boarding there.
Dominic Adamu, a parent with daughters at the school, expressed the community's shock, stating, Everybody is weak... it took everybody by surprise. The emotions were echoed by a distraught family member, who pleaded for the safe return of her two nieces, aged six and 13.
In response to the crisis, security agencies have begun combing the forests to rescue those abducted. The initial number of reported abductees (215) has since been revised upward, now believed to be nearly half of the school's total student population.
Authorities indicated that the school ignored a directive to close its boarding facilities, placing its students and staff at increased risk. Following the mass abduction, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has postponed foreign trips to address these escalating security issues, with over 40 federal colleges ordered to close in light of rising insecurity.
As the crisis deepens, citizens are demanding more robust actions to ensure safety for children and communities, putting pressure on the government to implement effective measures against these recurring acts of violence.
The kidnapping has occurred amidst a surge of attacks by armed groups, surpassing the 276 abducted during the infamous Chibok kidnappings of 2014. Local police reported that armed men stormed the school around 02:00 local time, taking students who were boarding there.
Dominic Adamu, a parent with daughters at the school, expressed the community's shock, stating, Everybody is weak... it took everybody by surprise. The emotions were echoed by a distraught family member, who pleaded for the safe return of her two nieces, aged six and 13.
In response to the crisis, security agencies have begun combing the forests to rescue those abducted. The initial number of reported abductees (215) has since been revised upward, now believed to be nearly half of the school's total student population.
Authorities indicated that the school ignored a directive to close its boarding facilities, placing its students and staff at increased risk. Following the mass abduction, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has postponed foreign trips to address these escalating security issues, with over 40 federal colleges ordered to close in light of rising insecurity.
As the crisis deepens, citizens are demanding more robust actions to ensure safety for children and communities, putting pressure on the government to implement effective measures against these recurring acts of violence.
