Attack on Catholic School in Nigeria Leads to Student Abduction
Another violent incident has been reported in Nigeria, this time targeting a Catholic school. On Friday, multiple news outlets revealed that armed men abducted a significant number of students from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, located in Niger State.
The incident occurred despite authorities having previously ordered the temporary closure of the boarding school due to rising security threats, as mentioned by the BBC. Local broadcaster Arise TV reported that 52 students were taken during the attack.
The Niger State Police Command indicated that the abduction happened early Friday morning, prompting a rapid response from military and security forces in the area. St. Mary’s School caters to children aged 12 to 17.
In recent days, Nigeria has seen a surge in violent attacks from armed groups, including the kidnapping of 25 schoolgirls from a boarding school in nearby Kebbi state just a few days ago.
This latest episode of school kidnappings and assaults on churches follows a warning from former US President Donald Trump regarding military intervention in response to the targeting of Christians in Nigeria.
Abubakar Usman, the Secretary to the State Government, expressed deep concern over the abduction of the students from St. Mary’s School in Agwara Local Government Area. He noted that the exact number of abducted students has yet to be confirmed as investigations are ongoing.
According to reports from AFP, Nigeria’s security forces are on high alert this week. The ongoing wave of violence has highlighted a long-term anti-Christian campaign that has been expanding across Africa.
In another violent event earlier this week in western Nigeria, gunmen attacked a church during a service, resulting in the deaths of two individuals. It’s believed that numerous worshipers were also abducted during this assault.
Residents and analysts attribute the pervasive insecurity in Nigeria to the failure to hold known attackers accountable and to widespread corruption, which hampers the ability of security forces to obtain weapons while allowing gangs unfettered access.
