A wave of fear has swept through the quiet Papiri community in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State after armed men stormed St. Mary’s School, a Catholic-owned institution, and abducted an as-yet-unknown number of students and staff during a midnight raid.
The attack, which unfolded between 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. on Friday, caught residents off guard and left authorities scrambling to determine the scale of the incident. School officials are still cross-checking attendance records to confirm how many people were taken.
A member of the Catholic Church in Niger State, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the abduction but declined to provide specifics. “The church will make a formal statement later today,” the source told Daily Trust, urging the public to remain patient as details continue to emerge.
Security agencies have been pressed for clarification, but the Niger State Police Command says it will release verified information once ongoing investigations are concluded. SP Wasiu Abiodun, the command’s spokesperson, assured reporters that updates would follow.
The Head of Disaster and Relief for Agwara LGA, Ahmed Abdullahi Rofia, also confirmed the attack in a telephone conversation. He noted that officials were still assessing the situation: “We cannot say for certain how many were abducted. The school and local authorities are compiling the necessary data.”
The incident adds to a troubling escalation of school-related kidnappings across northern Nigeria. Earlier in the week, 25 students were seized from a secondary school in Maga, Kebbi State. The growing insecurity has triggered widespread alarm, leading to the closure of more than 50 schools in parts of Kwara State just a day before the latest attack.
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Amid these developments, President Bola Tinubu has reportedly shelved planned visits to South Africa and Angola in order to oversee the national response to the worsening crisis.
Meanwhile, security operatives have begun a search-and-rescue mission, though the community remains in suspense as the nation awaits an official briefing.
