Armed assailants attacked St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri community, Agwara Local Government Area, abducting students and staff early on Friday.

Local reports indicate that approximately 52 pupils are missing, making this the second mass school abduction in northern Nigeria within a week.

The incident occurred around 2:00 a.m. when gunmen stormed the boarding school hostel, firing shots before forcing captives into forests along the Niger–Kogi border. The Niger State Police Command confirmed the attack and announced that tactical units and military personnel have been deployed to pursue the perpetrators. State Secretary Abubakar Usman criticized the school for reopening without official clearance despite intelligence warnings of heightened threats. A security guard sustained serious injuries, though no fatalities were reported.

The Catholic Diocese of Minna condemned the assault, describing it as “yet another attack on education” and calling for urgent rescue efforts and prayers. Security sources said no ransom demand has been made, but the pattern of recent incidents suggests bandit groups are exploiting border terrain for profit-driven kidnappings.

This latest abduction follows the November 17 kidnapping of 25 girls from a boarding school in Maga, Kebbi State, and a November 18 church attack in Kwara State that left two dead and dozens abducted. According to UNICEF, more than 1,400 children have been kidnapped in Nigeria since 2014, underscoring the scale of insecurity in the North, where banditry and communal clashes have displaced millions.

President Bola Tinubu has postponed scheduled G20 and AU engagements to oversee intensified rescue operations. The attack also comes amid international scrutiny, following U.S. Congressman Riley Moore’s recent call for Nigeria to take stronger action against religiously motivated violence.

Authorities have urged residents to remain calm and provide intelligence tips to aid recovery efforts, assuring that joint security operations are underway to secure the release of those abducted.