The Niger State Government on Friday condemned the kidnapping of students from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, attributing the incident to the school reopening without government approval despite an earlier directive suspending boarding activities in the area.
According to Ahmed Abdullahi Rofia, Head of Department, Disaster and Relief, Agwara Local Government, the attack occurred between 2:00 am and 3:00 am, although the exact number of students and staff abducted is still being confirmed.
“Authorities are still assessing the situation, and we cannot yet provide a definitive count of those taken,” he said.
In a statement signed by Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Usman, the government emphasized that prior intelligence had warned of an increased security threat in parts of the Niger North Senatorial District.
“In response to these credible alerts, the State Government had earlier ordered the suspension of all construction work and temporary closure of boarding schools in the affected areas,” Usman said.
He added that the reopening of St. Mary’s School without notifying or seeking clearance from the government “exposed pupils and staff to avoidable risk.”
Security forces have launched search-and-rescue operations to secure the safe return of the abducted children. Usman urged the public, school proprietors, and community leaders to adhere strictly to security advisories.
“The protection of lives, especially those of our children, remains the utmost priority of this administration. We call on the public to remain calm and provide any useful information to assist ongoing efforts,” he said.
The incident follows a similar attack in Maga, Kebbi State, where 25 students were kidnapped, raising concerns over the growing insecurity in schools across the region. On Thursday, more than 50 schools in Kwara State were closed due to threats from bandits.
President Bola Tinubu recently canceled trips to South Africa and Angola to personally coordinate responses to the rising insecurity.
