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Fresh kidnapping: Niger Govt Blames School for Ignoring Security Warning

Governor Umar Bago

Fresh kidnapping: Niger Govt Blames School for Ignoring Security Warning

The Niger State Government has condemned the abduction of pupils from St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area, describing the attack as “deeply saddening and avoidable.”

In a statement issued on Friday by the Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Usman, the government said the exact number of abducted children had yet to be determined, as security agencies were still conducting assessments and gathering verified information.

Usman disclosed that the government had previously received credible intelligence pointing to heightened security threats across parts of the Niger North Senatorial District. Based on the alert, authorities ordered the suspension of construction activities and the temporary closure of boarding schools in the high-risk areas.

However, St. Mary’s—a private Catholic school—reportedly reopened and resumed academic activities without notifying or securing approval from the government. The SSG said the violation exposed pupils and teachers to grave danger.

The attack occurred around midnight on Thursday. Witnesses said dozens of armed men arrived on more than 60 motorcycles and a van before overpowering the school and abducting an undisclosed number of students. The gunmen were said to have stormed the premises in the early hours of Friday, shooting the gatekeeper and leaving him severely injured.

The state government said security agencies had launched a full-scale investigation alongside intensified search-and-rescue operations to ensure the safe return of the abducted pupils.

It urged school owners, community leaders and stakeholders to strictly comply with security directives, stressing that safeguarding lives—particularly those of children—remains the administration’s foremost priority.

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Northern Nigeria has witnessed repeated school abductions since Boko Haram insurgents kidnapped 276 Chibok schoolgirls in 2014. More than 1,500 students have been seized in the region since then.

Security analysts blame the unending cycle on the failure to prosecute perpetrators and on corruption that limits security agencies’ access to adequate weapons while bandits maintain steady supply lines.