More than 300 children and a dozen teachers were taken from St. Mary’s School in north-central Nigeria, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said on Saturday.
Armed men reportedly stormed the school, a Catholic institution located in the Papiri community of Niger state, around 2 a.m. local time on Friday.
The students’ range in age from 10 to 18 and include boys and girls. The school compound serves a remote area and, at the time of the attack, had only local security arrangements in place.
No group has claimed responsibility for the abductions, and authorities have deployed tactical squads and local hunters in their efforts to rescue the hostages.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment by email Saturday morning.
Why It Matters
The latest incident is one of the gravest mass abductions in the country’s recent history, following a trend of school kidnappings that highlight growing insecurity in Africa’s most populous nation.
The scale of this kidnapping surpasses even the 2014 Chibok abduction, making it an alarming benchmark in a country already grappling with various armed groups.
The kidnappings come as President Donald Trump and rapper Nicki Minaj have recently highlighted and spoken out against the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s struggle with armed gangs and sectarian violence has become a focal point for foreign policy, humanitarian agencies, and the U.S. government, with Trump elevating the issue of Christian persecution as central to American engagement with the region.
What To Know
Friday’s kidnapping of 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers from St. Mary’s School was confirmed after a verification exercise and census at the school, according to Most Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, CAN’s Niger state chairman.
Previous reports said 215 students had been kidnapped but Yohanna said 88 additional students were “also captured after they tried to escape” during the attack.
Local police, as cited by BBC News, indicated that security agencies are “combing the forests” to rescue the abducted students.
Authorities have blamed the incident in part on the school’s decision to reopen allegedly in violation of a state directive to close for safety, a claim disputed by CAN leadership.
The Associated Press reported that this kidnapping occurred just four days after 25 other children were seized in similar circumstances in Kebbi state, about 100 miles away.
Attacks in the African nation affect Christians and Muslims, the AP reported, adding that the attack in Kebbi state was in a Muslim-majority town.
In response, Niger state has announced the closure of all schools to prevent further incidents, with Governor Umar Bago telling reporters that schools will be “closed till further notice.”
The kidnapping of people for ransom by criminal gangs or “bandits” has become a problem in many parts of Nigeria, BBC News reported. The payment of ransoms is outlawed in Nigeria but remains a persistent unofficial practice.
Analysts and UNICEF highlight that only 37 percent of schools in conflict-prone states have early warning systems to detect attacks, leaving many students and staff at continued risk, according to BBC News.
What People Are Saying
Niger Governor Umar Bago told reporters on Saturday: “It is the decision of stakeholders today to close all schools in Niger state. All schools are closed till further notice. So we have declared Christmas holiday for all schools in Niger state.”
Dominic Adamu, whose daughters attend St. Mary’s School but were not taken, told BBC News on Saturday: “Everybody is weak…it took everybody by surprise.”
President Donald Trump, via Truth Social in early November: “The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian population around the World!”
Nicki Minaj, musician and advocate, posted on X on November 1: “We live in a country where we can freely worship God. No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion. We don’t have to share the same beliefs in order for us to respect each other. Numerous countries all around the world are being affected by this horror & it’s dangerous to pretend we don’t notice. Thank you to The President & his team for taking this seriously. God bless every persecuted Christian. Let’s remember to lift them up in prayer.”
What Happens Next?
Security agencies continue search-and-rescue operations for the students and teachers who were taken.
With all schools in Niger state now closed, authorities aim to prevent further attacks, but the closures have left thousands of students out of class. The Nigerian federal government is reviewing additional security responses amid rising pressure from families and the international community.
This story contains reporting from the Associated Press.