By Daudu Agaba Andrew Samuel
In the early hours of Friday morning at about 02:00 am local time, the quiet halls of St. Mary’s Catholic school in Niger state were shattered when armed men stormed the compound and seized more than 300 students and teachers. Children as young as ten were marched into the night, leaving behind abandoned sandals, scattered notebooks and a community drowning in fear. It is the latest attack in a wave of mass abductions that is turning Nigerian classrooms into danger zones. Twelve employees and 215 pupils were captured during the early-morning raid, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)
The incident in Niger State is part of a troubling trend that has gotten worse over the last ten years. Since the notorious kidnappings of Chibok in 2014, armed groups have discovered that schools present a vulnerable target because they are remote, have little security, and are home to children whose families will stop at nothing to secure their release. Since then, more than 2,000 children are thought to have been abducted from classrooms throughout Nigeria, with the North-West, Middle belt (North Central), and portions of the North-East experiencing the majority of these cases. Numerous schools, particularly those in isolated areas remain vulnerable to the potential of attack despite the introduction of safety measures and increased security personnel by federal and provincial authorities. According to witnesses of the attack in St. Mary’s Catholic School, the assailants arrived on motorbikes, intimidated staff by firing intermittently into the air, and then drove over 300 students and twelve teachers into the nearby woodland. Security personnel pursued the perpetrators, but they were unable to stop the mass kidnapping according to local officials. Following the incident, hundreds of families are still anxiously awaiting updates, and classes have been delayed indefinitely.
Nigeria, has faced a renewed wave of attacks by armed groups in recent days, including the kidnapping of more than 20 schoolgirls, from a boarding school in neighboring Kebbi State. A church was also attacked further south, in Kwara state, with two people killed and 38 abducted while the service was being broadcast online.
According to experts, the most recent kidnapping is a part of the North’s changing insecurity picture rather than an isolated incident. What started out as isolated rebel attacks has developed into an organized criminal economy where kidnapping students ensures attention and money. Due to their frequent absence of early warning systems and perimeter fencing, rural schools are particularly vulnerable. Over 1,680 students were kidnapped in roughly 70 school attacks between April 2014 and December 2022, according to UNICEF and Save the Children International. The bodies indicate that around 180 children were killed, 90 were injured, and over 90 are still unaccounted for. UNICEF and Save the Children International estimated that around the same time period, some sixty school employees were also abducted. Other experts indicate that between January 2023 and November 2025, Nigeria has recorded 22 attacks on educational institutions, with 816 students kidnapped. Only confirmed instances reported by police and eyewitnesses are included in these numbers.
The impact of these numbers on Nigerians, lies widespread trauma. Parents withdraw their children because safety is no longer ensured and assured and many children refuse to go back to school out of fear. According to UNICEF, over a million Nigerian Children have expressed a fear of going to school because of insecurity. Approximately 11, 500 schools were closed in 2020 alone. Survivors frequently experience psychological distress, social humiliation and interrupted schooling. Many children are left without the assistance they require because reintegration services are limited and inadequate.
In response to the rising wave of school kidnappings, the State and Federal authorities strongly condemn each big kidnapping and pledge to launch rescue efforts. Security deployments and task force formation are examples of quick reactions. Following the recent attacks on Kebbi President Tinubu ordered the Minister of Defence to move to the state. However, these responses haven’t always resulted in consistent action. While some rescues have been swift and well-planned, others have been drawn out or unfinished. The government’s strategy, according to analysis, has lacked cohesion and long-term planning.
The latest abduction at St. Mary’s Catholic School serves as a sobering reminder that Nigerian students still face unthinkable dangers just by attending school. In addition to causing acute trauma to kids and their families, these attacks jeopardize education’s larger purpose by undermining communities and impeding future growth. Experts and civil society organizations emphasize the urgent need for a combination of better-funded security measures, enhanced intelligence, community involvement, and uniform enforcement of safety regulations.
Daudu Agaba, is a graduate of International Relations from Covenant University and a serving Corp member with the institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Abuja.
And can be reached via: agabadaudu@gmail.com
