Bandits have struck at St. Mary’s School, a Catholic institution in Papiri community, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, and abducted unspecified number of students and staffers.
Multiple sources said several students were taken during the raid that occurred at night by armed men who shot sporadically for hours to scare the students, workers and outsiders contemplating emergency response to the school in distress.
It was learnt that some of the students managed escape from the abductors when the car they snatched at dawn to convey the abductees broke down not far from the school.students while searching for alternative logistics.
However, the number of victims has not been determined yet as the school was still compiling its records but the church would in no time issue an official statement later today, according to a source close to the church.
But the Head of Department, Disaster and Relief, Agwara Local Government, Ahmed Abdullahi Rofia, confirmed the attack by the scoundrels.
According Rofia, the terrorists stormed the school between 2a.m. and 3 a.m., noting that the exact number of abducted students and staff was still being compiled.
Meanwhile, the Niger State Government has confirmed the abduction of an unknown number of students of St John primary and secondary school in Papiri ward of Agwara local government area of Niger state.
The Niger State Government said the incident occurred despite asking all boarding schools and construction in the area to shut down.
It said with regret that it was shocked to hear the boarding school had reopened.
A statement by the Secretary to the Niger State Government, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, stated the government received prior intelligence report indicating an increased threat level in parts of Niger North Senatorial District and issued a clear directive suspending all construction activities and ordering the temporary closure of all boarding schools within the affected zone as a precautionary measure.
It said: “The Niger State Government received with deep sadness the disturbing news of the kidnapping of pupils from St. Mary’s School in Agwara Local Government Area. The exact number of abducted pupils is yet to be confirmed as security agencies continue to assess the situation.
“This unfortunate incident comes despite prior intelligence report obtained by the government indicating an increased threat level in parts of Niger North Senatorial District.
” In response to these credible security alerts, the State Government had earlier issued a clear directive suspending all construction activities and ordering the temporary closure of all boarding schools within the affected zone as a precautionary measure.
“Regrettably, St. Mary’s School proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the State Government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk.”
It however noted that security agencies have commenced a full-scale investigation and search-and-rescue operations for the safe return of the pupils.
The latest attack came barely days after a similar incident in Maga, Kebbi State, where 25 students were abducted kidnapped, further raising fears over increasing insecurity in schools across the North.
On Thursday, more than 50 schools were shut down in the Central district of Kwara State following worsening bandit activity.
The Daily Crucible reports that spikes in security breaches have placed Nigeria under scrutiny watch from the United States.President Donald Trump, who in early November threatened military action over alleged genocidal attacks of Christians in the country.
The latest attack on Catholic school in Niger State may serve to reinforce such narrative but Nigerian government had earlier refuted the allegation, saying claims that Christians face persecution or selective attacks misrepresent a complex security situation and unfair to efforts to safeguard religious freedom in the country.
Besides, Tinubu recently dispatched a delegation led by the country’s national security advisor, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to meet United States lawmakers and government officials on the matter and the delegation robustly presented the position of the government to the US Congress.
Also, President Bola Tinubu had asked the Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, to relocate to Kebbi State over the abduction of 25 schoolgirls in the state.
Matawalle, who was a former governor of Zamfara State, was asked to remain in the state to monitor security efforts to secure the release of the abducted students.
The Daily Crucible reports that gunmen abducted 24 students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town, Kebbi State, around 4 am on Monday.
Matawalle, was expected to arrive in Birni-Kebbi this Friday, gained some experience in dealing with banditry and mass kidnapping during his tenure as governor of Zamfara State from 2019 to 2023.
On 26 February 2021, armed bandits abducted 279 female students aged between 10 and 17 at the Government Girls Science Secondary School, a boarding school in Jangebe, in Zamfara State. The bandits released all the hostages on March 2, 2021.
President Tinubu had postponed his scheduled trip to Johannesburg, South Africa, and Luanda, Angola, as he awaited further security briefings on the kidnapped Kebbi schoolgirls and the attack on Christ Apostolic Church worshippers in Eruku, Kwara State.
