It was first reported that 215 pupils had been kidnapped from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger state, but the number was later revised to 303 students and 12 teachers, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria. The association’s chair, who visited the school, said more than 80 students were taken after attempting to flee during the attack by armed assailants. The victims include both boys and girls aged 10 to 18. This is the second mass abduction in the country this week, following the kidnapping of 25 pupils from a school in Kebbi state, and the number taken in Papiri exceeds the 276 girls abducted in the Chibok incident of 2014. No group has claimed responsibility, and security forces have been deployed to locate the victims, leading Niger state to close all schools until further notice.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed condemned the attack, stressing that schools must be sanctuaries for education rather than targets and insisting that perpetrators must be held accountable. The UN’s top official in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, described the news as heartbreaking, especially so soon after the Kebbi abductions. He expressed sympathy for affected families and urged that every effort be made to ensure the safe return of the students and teachers. He also called for full implementation of the Safe School Principle, established during the 2015 International Conference on Safe Schools, which Nigeria endorsed.
UNICEF reaffirmed its commitment to working with government authorities, civil society and communities to strengthen child protection measures so that no child faces danger while pursuing an education. UNESCO’s office in Nigeria also condemned the mass abduction, emphasizing that schools must never be targets and expressing solidarity with victims, their families and the Nigerian government. The agency called for the immediate release of all abducted children.
