Mass Kidnapping in Niger State Sparks Fears Amid Heightened International Attention
Nigeria is reeling after 215 schoolchildren and 12 teachers were abducted from a Catholic school in Niger state, the second mass school kidnapping reported in the country within a week. The attack on St Mary’s School in Papiri community occurred in the early hours of Friday, prompting a deployment of military and police units to the area.
The abduction comes as the Nigerian government faces mounting scrutiny following threats by former US president Donald Trump to intervene militarily over what he described as a “Christian genocide” in the country, an allegation Nigeria has firmly rejected.
Local authorities confirmed that heavily armed attackers seized the pupils and staff before moving them into nearby bushland. Families say many children fled in panic but remain scattered, while others are still missing.
Niger state, one of Nigeria’s largest regions, has suffered repeated school kidnappings over the past decade, including a 2021 attack in which 135 pupils were taken and several died while in captivity.
The incident follows a separate attack earlier in the week in Kebbi state, where gunmen abducted 25 schoolgirls and killed a school official. Reports indicated security forces had received advance intelligence and guarded the school overnight but left shortly before the attack.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered senior defence officials to relocate to affected areas to support rescue operations.
Across Nigeria’s central and northern states, armed groups continue to carry out ransom-driven kidnappings targeting schools, churches, travellers and rural communities. Officials say many of the groups consist of former herders involved in longstanding clashes with farming communities.
The abductions are unfolding amid several other security crises. In Borno state, the extremist group Islamic State West Africa Province claimed responsibility for the killing of a Nigerian general earlier this week. Separately, 38 worshippers were kidnapped from a church in Kwara state in a livestreamed attack, with abductors later demanding a large ransom.
The frequency of these incidents has intensified diplomatic tensions with the United States, where some lawmakers have amplified claims that Christians in Nigeria are being deliberately targeted. Washington recently designated Nigeria a country of particular concern, citing severe violations of religious freedom.
Nigeria maintains that victims of recent attacks include people of all faiths and that the situation is driven by criminality rather than sectarian motives.
President Tinubu has cancelled upcoming international trips as the government responds to the escalating crisis and international debate.
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