More than 200 students along with staff were kidnapped from a Catholic boarding school in central Nigeria, marking the third major abduction in the country this week and triggering a massive security response.
The attack on St. Mary’s Secondary School in Agawara Local Government Area of Niger State took place between 01:00 and 03:00 (local time) on Friday 21 November.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) confirmed that there were a total of 217 victims, including 215 students and 12 teachers.
A security guard was also shot during the invasion. While some students managed to escape.
The incident followed the abduction of 25 girls from a Muslim boarding school in Kebbi state on Monday, November 17, and a separate attack on the church in Kwara state on Tuesday, November 18, where dozens were kidnapped.
To address the ongoing security crisis, President Bola Tinubu has canceled all foreign travel to control the escalating violence.
The state officials revealed that the school received several intelligence warnings related to potential attacks, but it was reopened.
Secretary to Government, Abubakar Usman stated: “Unfortunately, St. Mary’s school pretended to resume academic activities without notifying or seeking approval from the state government.”
In response to the situation, officials have ordered the closure of 47 federal boarding schools and deployed tactical police and military units to search nearby forests for victims.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the latest incident, although criminal gangs known locally as “bandits” often target schools for ransom.
The mass kidnapping marks the increase in such incidents since March 2024 and has intensified scrutiny of Nigeria’s security situation, especially after recent comments by US President Donald Trump about potential military intervention in the country.
