More than 50 children were abducted from St Mary’s Papiri Private Catholic Secondary School in Agwara, Niger State, Nigeria, by armed terrorists. The abduction occurred in the early hours of Friday morning, with attackers targeting the school’s hostel. Authorities have deployed police tactical units, military personnel, and other security agencies to search the surrounding forests for the kidnapped students.
The Niger State Police Command confirmed the incident and mentioned the ongoing efforts to rescue the abducted students. Despite a directive for school closure due to security challenges, the school was open at the time of the abduction. The Commissioner of Police, CP Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, assured the public of efforts to rescue the students and investigate the school’s non-compliance with the closure directive.
This incident follows a similar attack at the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Kebbi, where 26 students were abducted, and only two have managed to escape. The remaining 24 abducted schoolgirls are still in captivity, causing distress for their families and the school community.