315 Abducted From Christian School in One of Nigeria’s Largest Kidnapping Incidents By The Media Line Staff Authorities in central Nigeria are struggling to determine the full scope of a mass kidnapping at St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger state, where hundreds of children and teachers were taken during an assault overnight on Friday. The Christian Association of Nigeria reported […]
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The Media Line: 315 Abducted From Christian School in One of Nigeria’s Largest Kidnapping Incidents
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315 Abducted From Christian School in One of Nigeria’s Largest Kidnapping Incidents
By The Media Line Staff
Authorities in central Nigeria are struggling to determine the full scope of a mass kidnapping at St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger state, where hundreds of children and teachers were taken during an assault overnight on Friday. The Christian Association of Nigeria reported that a verification effort showed 303 students and 12 staff members were abducted, a figure far higher than early estimates and one of the largest school kidnappings the country has ever recorded.
Security officials said armed men entered the boarding school shortly after 02:00 local time on Friday and forced large groups of students from their dormitories. Police said security teams were searching surrounding forests in an effort to locate the captives and pursue the attackers. The number initially circulated—215 students—was later revised upward after officials reviewed attendance and spoke with families. According to AFP, the total now accounts for nearly half the school’s enrollment.
State authorities said the boarding facility had been ordered to shut down after intelligence warnings indicated a heightened threat in the area. They said the school’s decision to keep students on campus exposed children and employees to what officials described as an “avoidable risk.” The school has not commented on the accusation.
Nigeria’s record on combating violence against Christians recently came under fire from US President Donald Trump, who, earlier this month, warned on his social media platform that if the Nigerian government “continues to allow the killing of Christians,” the US may stop aid and intervene militarily “guns-a-blazing.”
Nigerian officials then rejected the notion that Christians are targeted and said in a statement that “terrorists attack all who reject their murderous ideology – Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike.”
The attack is part of a pattern of mass kidnappings attributed to criminal groups that seize victims for ransom, a practice the government has tried to curb by outlawing such payments. Despite the measure, abductions have continued. The assault on St. Mary’s was the third large-scale kidnapping reported in Nigeria this week. Earlier incidents included the abduction of more than 20 Muslim schoolgirls in Kebbi state and a separate attack on a church in Kwara state that left two people dead and 38 kidnapped.
President Bola Tinubu has postponed foreign travel, including a planned appearance at the G20 summit in South Africa, to address the security crisis. Federal officials ordered more than 40 national colleges to close, and several states have shut public schools.