Gunmen have attacked St Mary’s School, a Catholic-owned institution in Papiri community, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, abducting an undetermined number of students and staff.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Friday. Local officials told The Telegraph that the school is still compiling its records and cannot yet confirm the number of people taken.
A source within the Catholic Church in Niger State confirmed the incident, adding that the church would issue an official statement after completing its investigation.
Ahmed Rofia, Head of Department for Disaster and Relief in Agwara Local Government, told Daily Trust that the gunmen stormed the school between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., and authorities are still assessing the scale of the abductions.
The spokesperson of the Niger State Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun, told The Telegraph that he was aware of enquiries regarding the attack and would provide details once confirmed.
Papiri is located about 7 kilometres from Babana, where Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate in the Sahel, announced its presence in July.
The incident comes less than a week after a similar abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi State.
A source in Rofia, a town roughly 30 kilometres from Papiri, said residents estimated that the gunmen arrived on around 60 motorcycles and a van.
“They packed the students and their teachers in the van and went away with them,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
Bello Gidi, spokesperson for Agwara Local Government Chairperson Ilyasu Zakari, confirmed the attack and said efforts are ongoing to gather factual details of the incident.
The raid adds to growing concerns over attacks on schools in the region. On Thursday, more than 50 schools were shut across parts of Kwara State following repeated bandit incursions.
President Bola Tinubu has cancelled scheduled trips to South Africa and Angola to coordinate a response to the worsening security situation in northern Nigeria.
