Heavily armed bandits stormed St. Mary’s Private Catholic School, a boarding institution in the remote Papiri community of Agwara Local Government Area, in the early hours of Friday morning, abducting an unknown number of pupils, students, and staff members before disappearing into surrounding forests.
The attack occurred between approximately 1:30 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. local time.
The gunmen invaded both the primary and secondary hostels, firing sporadically to create panic and rounding up victims at gunpoint.
Witnesses and survivors described scenes of terror as children were forcibly marched away in the dark.
Exact numbers remain unconfirmed as school authorities, police, and parents continue reconciliation efforts, but estimates vary dramatically:
Local sources and community leaders claim more than 100 persons — predominantly students, including many girls — were taken.
Other reports place the figure between 40 and 80.
The Niger State government and police have cautioned that only a verified headcount will provide certainty.
One staff member, believed to be the school’s vice principal, was reportedly shot dead during the raid. A security guard was also injured.
The attack is particularly alarming because it occurred in defiance of a recent state government directive.
Following credible intelligence of imminent bandit activity across the northern senatorial zone, Niger State had ordered all boarding schools in raft-prone areas to close temporarily and send students home.
Multiple sources indicate St. Mary’s resumed boarding activities without formal clearance, leaving it vulnerable.
The Niger State Police Commissioner CP Adamu Abdullahi Elleman confirmed the incident in a brief statement:
“We received a distress call in the early hours about the invasion of St. Mary’s school by armed bandits. Tactical units, anti-kidnapping squads, and military reinforcements have been mobilised.
Bush-combing operations are ongoing, and we are determined to rescue the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Governor Mohammed Umar Bago’s office issued a statement expressing “profound grief” and vowing full government support for security agencies.
Air and ground patrols have reportedly began at first light.
School abductions for ransom have become a hallmark of insecurity in northwest and north-central Nigeria. In the last five days alone:
At least 25 female students were seized from a federal college in neighbouring Kebbi State.
More than 50 schools in Kwara State were closed preemptively after similar threats.
Parents and residents of Papiri gathered at the school gates Friday morning in anguish, many weeping as they waited for any scrap of information.
One father, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “They took my two daughters.
We don’t have money for ransom. We are begging the government to bring them back alive.”
As of the writing of this news, no group had claimed responsibility, no contact had been reported from the abductors, and no victims had been rescued.
Security sources say the operation is complicated by the vast Kainji Lake National Park forest reserve that the bandits reportedly use as a hideout.
Administrator and Writer
