Metro

Bandits Abduct Pupils In Nasarawa School Hours After Niger Attack

A quiet Friday afternoon in Rukubi, a community in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, turned chaotic when armed men stormed Peter’s Foundation Secondary School and seized a number of students during classroom hours.

Witnesses told The Sun that the intruders entered the school premises abruptly and fled with several pupils before help could arrive. Efforts to ascertain the exact number of abducted children were still ongoing as security responders and journalists tried to reach the Nasarawa State Police Command for an official statement.

The incident came only hours after the Niger State Government confirmed a separate kidnapping at St. Mary’s School, Papiri, in Agwara LGA—an attack that occurred between 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. earlier the same day.

Speaking on the Niger abduction, Secretary to the State Government, Alh. Abubakar Usman, described the development as both “heartbreaking and avoidable.” He faulted the school’s management for reopening without notifying state authorities despite prevailing security alerts in the region.

“Unfortunately, St. Mary’s School resumed academic activities without seeking clearance from the State Government, putting students and staff in unnecessary danger,” he said.

Local officials, including Ahmed Abdullahi Rofia, Head of Disaster and Relief in Agwara LGA, have verified the attack. The Niger State Police Command, through its spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun, promised a comprehensive update once ongoing security assessments are concluded.

These dual incidents add to a troubling rise in violent raids across northern communities. Only recently, 25 students were kidnapped in Maga, Kebbi State, while an attack on a CAC church in Eruku, Kwara State, left three worshippers dead and more than 20 people abducted. The Kwara State Government responded by shutting down over 50 schools due to heightened threats.

The recurring assaults have deepened fears among families and education stakeholders. Community heads and school proprietors are now calling on authorities to intensify intelligence operations, enforce safety directives issued to schools, and expand security patrols around vulnerable areas.