Niger School Kidnapping: Terrorists Abduct Students and Staff at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Agwara
The Niger school kidnapping has triggered nationwide concern after terrorists invaded St. Mary’s Catholic School, a Catholic institution located in Papiri community, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
According to a report by Daily Trust, which first broke the news, armed attackers stormed the school between 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. on Friday, abducting an unconfirmed number of students and staff.
School authorities are still compiling the full list of abducted victims, and the exact number remains unknown at this time.
State Government Confirms the Attack
The Niger State Government has officially confirmed the Niger school kidnapping, stating that the school disregarded a prior security advisory which ordered all boarding schools in the area to close due to heightened threats.
Abubakar Usman, Secretary to the Niger State Government, said the Catholic school reopened without clearance, despite warnings of an impending attack.
Read also: Gunmen Attack Church in Kwara State, Kill Two and Kidnap Pastor During Service
Security Agencies Launch Search-and-Rescue Mission
Security operatives have now begun a full-scale search-and-rescue operation to secure the release of the kidnapped students and staff. The state government is maintaining close communication with all security formations working on the case.
Authorities are urging school owners and community leaders to strictly obey security directives, citing the rising number of attacks targeting educational institutions in the region.
A Series of Recent Attacks
The Niger school kidnapping comes just days after another school attack in Maga, Kebbi State, where 25 students were abducted.
Similarly, over 50 schools were shut down in Kwara State to prevent further incidents.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently cancelled planned foreign trips to focus on addressing the rising insecurity.
