Niger Abduction Toll Climbs To 315 As Families Confront Another National Security Failure

New verification reveals dozens more missing after gunmen storm Catholic school on over 60 motorcycles

The number of victims abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara LGA of Niger State has risen sharply to 315, pushing the country into yet another painful conversation about insecurity that is increasingly targeting schoolchildren.

Initial figures released hours after the attack placed the tally at 227, but a fresh verification carried out by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State revealed that 88 additional students previously believed to have escaped were actually taken. The school, a mixed boarding facility run by the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, was raided in the early hours of Friday by gunmen who arrived in large numbers, riding on more than 60 motorcycles and accompanied by a van.

A Larger Tragedy Emerges After The Panic

According to CAN Chairman and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Most Rev. Bulus Yohanna, the updated figure came after parents began returning with reports that their children were missing, contradicting earlier assumptions that some students had fled into the surrounding bush during the attack.

“We made calls, verified names, and did a full census. That was when we realised that 88 more students were among those captured,” he explained. “This now brings the number to 303 students and 12 teachers, making 315 abducted persons in total.”

Before the incident, the school had 629 pupils and students combined, 430 in the primary section and 199 in the secondary. highlighting the scale of the attack and the vulnerability of the community.

Bishop Yohanna also addressed widespread claims that the school ignored warnings from authorities prior to the invasion. He described the rumour as “propaganda meant to shift blame,” insisting that neither the government nor security agencies issued any circular advising a shutdown.

Nigeria placed among Africa’s top military spenders with $3.19bn in 2020

“In the past, whenever we heard rumours of threats, we shut down immediately. No such warning was received this time,” he said, adding that neither the Education Secretary nor the National Association of Private Schools was aware of any directive.

Parents Wait For Answers As Security Questions Deepen

For residents of Papiri, the events of Friday were not just a school tragedy but a community-wide assault. Sources said the attackers broke into the compound between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., shooting the gatekeeper and overwhelming the sleeping students before herding them away into the dark.

A community source described the moment as “a night that swallowed our children,” adding that teachers were also forcibly taken. “These are innocent young students and their teachers. The fear in the community is deep because we do not know where they are or what condition they are in.”

As families wait for updates, the Federal Government has ordered the immediate closure of 41 Unity Colleges across several states facing heightened threats. The directive, signed by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, cites the rising frequency of attacks and the need to prevent further breaches, marking one of the most sweeping shutdowns of federal schools in recent years.

A Country Drifting Through Crisis After Crisis

The Niger abduction adds to a relentless pattern of school kidnappings that began years ago but has now resurfaced with worrying frequency. Communities across the North and parts of the Middle Belt continue to witness coordinated raids by heavily armed groups who often operate freely in remote territories.

For many Nigerians, the attack is yet another reminder that the country’s insecurity problem has reached a point where schools, the last spaces meant to protect childhood, have become frontlines. The Bishop urged calm and said church authorities were working with security operatives and the government to secure the safe return of the abducted.

But beyond the appeals lies a bitter reality: as long as armed groups can mobilize 60 motorcycles and invade a school for hours without interruption, the nation’s children remain dangerously exposed.