Papiri, Niger State – November 22, 2025 – In a brazen dawn raid that has sent shockwaves across Nigeria, armed gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in the remote Papiri community of Agwara Local Government Area, abducting 215 pupils and 12 teachers, according to the latest verified tally from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). The attack, which unfolded between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. on Friday, November 21, marks the second major school kidnapping in less than a week, prompting swift condemnation from the United Nations and an unprecedented nationwide closure of federal schools.
The United Nations, through its Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, issued a strong condemnation during a briefing at UN headquarters in New York on Friday afternoon. "We have witnessed yet another abduction of pupils in Niger State, in that country [Nigeria], just days after the abduction of schoolchildren in Kebbi," Dujarric stated, describing the incident as a "heartbreaking situation." He emphasized that "schools must be a safe place to learn," underscoring the violation of a fundamental right to education amid ongoing conflict. Dujarric extended the UN's solidarity to UNICEF and the office of Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Malick Fall, expressing "deep sympathy to the families and communities affected." He called for an immediate focus on the victims’ safe return, warning that these "repeated attacks highlight the urgent need to fully implement the Safe Schools Declaration."
The Safe Schools Declaration, endorsed by over 100 countries including Nigeria in 2015, commits signatories to protecting educational facilities from military use during armed conflicts and ensuring uninterrupted access to learning for children. UNESCO also condemned the attack on St. Mary’s as a direct assault on girls’ education and renewed pledges to bolster school security through early warning systems and resilience-building programs. The agency noted that more than 50 girls, alongside students, teachers, and a security officer, were among those taken during the overnight assault, highlighting the gendered dimension of such violence in Nigeria’s northwest.
Eyewitness accounts paint a harrowing picture of the raid. Gunmen, believed to be members of bandit gangs operating in the forested border regions between Niger and neighboring states, arrived on motorcycles and scaled the school’s perimeter fence under cover of darkness. A security guard was shot and gravely wounded while attempting to raise the alarm, according to the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora. Chaos ensued as the attackers herded pupils from their dormitories, firing sporadically to quell resistance. Some students managed to flee into the surrounding bush, but 88 others were recaptured after initial escapes, bringing the total confirmed abductees to 227, CAN Chairman Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna revealed after a verification exercise at the site. "This is unacceptable," Yohanna declared in a statement, expressing "deep concern for the safety of the kidnapped children and their families." He urged calm among residents while assuring collaboration with security forces, community leaders, and authorities for a swift rescue.
The Papiri incident is eerily reminiscent of the Monday, November 17, assault on Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, where gunmen abducted 25 female students and fatally shot the vice-principal, Malam Hassan Makuku. One girl has since escaped, but the remaining 24 remain missing, with search operations ongoing in dense forests. Kebbi Governor Nasir Idris has publicly questioned the withdrawal of military personnel from the school just before the attack, describing it as a lapse that left students vulnerable. UNICEF has decried the Kebbi raid as a "tragic example" of risks to children in conflict zones, demanding enhanced protections.
These back-to-back abductions have exposed deep fissures in Nigeria’s security architecture, particularly in the northwest, where banditry, farmer-herder clashes, and jihadist spillover from neighboring countries have displaced millions. Analysts trace the surge to economic desperation, exacerbated by soaring inflation and food insecurity, which fuels recruitment into criminal networks.
In response, President Bola Tinubu has mobilized resources aggressively. He canceled his attendance at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, dispatching Vice President Kashim Shettima in his stead, to oversee operations. Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle was ordered to relocate to Kebbi for real-time coordination. Niger State Police Command reported deploying tactical units and military personnel to comb forests, vowing no stone unturned. Yet, criticism mounts: The state government faulted St. Mary’s for reopening without clearance, despite an advisory to shutter boarding schools amid threat intelligence. Abubakar Usman, Niger’s Secretary to the State Government, lamented the "avoidable risk" this posed.
The most sweeping measure yet came from the Federal Ministry of Education: A circular dated November 21 directed the immediate closure of 41 Federal Unity Colleges—elite institutions drawing students nationwide—to avert further breaches. Signed by Director Binta Abdulkadir, it cited "recent security challenges" and listed schools like Federal Government Girls College (FGGC) Minjibir, FGGC Zaria, and Federal Technical College (FTC) Kafanchan among those affected. Of Nigeria’s 104 Unity Colleges, these closures impact thousands, disrupting academic calendars and fueling parental anxiety. Parents in Papiri rushed to withdraw remaining children from St. Mary’s on Friday, their faces etched with fear.
Local voices echo the national trauma. Dauda Chekula, a 62-year-old grandfather, recounted how four of his grandchildren—aged 7 to 10—were among the abducted. "We don’t know what is happening now... the attackers are still moving with the remaining children into the bush," he told reporters, his voice breaking. In Maga, the community held special prayers on Friday, beseeching divine intervention as distraught parents mourned.
This wave of violence revives ghosts of past horrors, notably the 2014 Chibok kidnapping of 276 girls by Boko Haram, which ignited the #BringBackOurGirls movement and exposed systemic failures. Since then, over 1,500 children have been abducted from schools, per UNICEF data, with ransom demands often exceeding millions of naira. In Niger alone, a 2021 seminary raid saw 135 pupils taken, six perishing in captivity.
As night falls over Papiri’s empty dormitories—bunk beds strewn with abandoned belongings—the nation braces for what comes next. Rescue efforts intensify, but experts warn that without addressing root causes like poverty and arms proliferation, these "heartbreaking situations" will persist. Dujarric’s plea rings true: Every effort must prioritize the children’s return, restoring faith in schools as sanctuaries, not targets. For the families, the wait is agonizing—a stark reminder that in Nigeria’s fractured heartland, education remains a perilous pursuit.
