An interior view of the Christ Apostolic Church, the day after an attack by gunmen in which people were killed and the pastor and some worshippers kidnapped, in the town of Eruku, Kwara state, Nigeria.
In one of the worst mass abductions in Nigeria’s recent history, more than 300 schoolchildren and 12 teachers were kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger State, on November 21, 2025. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) confirmed the updated figures after conducting a verification exercise, raising the tally from an earlier count of 215 children.
The attack unfolded when armed men stormed the Catholic institution in the early hours of Friday, targeting dormitories and classrooms. Witnesses reported chaos as students attempted to flee; tragically, 88 additional students were captured while trying to escape. The abduction marks the second major school attack in Nigeria within a week, following the kidnapping of 25 girls in Kebbi State.
Authorities have yet to identify the perpetrators, though Nigeria has faced repeated assaults by armed gangs and extremist groups in recent years. The UN Deputy Secretary-General condemned the attack, stressing that schools must be “sanctuaries, not targets,” and called for the immediate release of those taken.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage and fear across the country. Parents and community members gathered at the school grounds, where belongings of abducted children lay scattered. Security forces, alongside local hunters, have been deployed in rescue efforts, but the scale of the abduction underscores Nigeria’s deepening security crisis.
This mass kidnapping highlights the vulnerability of educational institutions in conflict-prone regions and raises urgent questions about the government’s ability to protect its citizens. As families await word on their loved ones, the tragedy serves as a grim reminder of the ongoing threat posed by armed groups in Africa’s most populous nation.
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