Security fears rise in Nigeria after more than 300 schoolchildren kidnapped

Special Report: Security Fears Rise in Nigeria After Mass School Abduction

In one of the largest mass kidnappings in Nigeria’s recent history, gunmen abducted more than 300 students and teachers from St Mary’s co-educational school in Niger state.

The raid, which took place early Friday, has sent shockwaves across the country and reignited fears about the vulnerability of schools in rural areas.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) initially reported 227 people missing, but after a verification exercise, the number was revised to 303 students and 12 teachers. This figure represents nearly half of the school’s total student population of 629, underscoring the scale of the tragedy.

The attack followed closely on the heels of another abduction earlier in the week in Kebbi state, where 25 girls were seized from a secondary school. Authorities in Niger state, led by Governor Mohammed Umar Bago, have ordered the closure of all schools as security agencies attempt to account for the missing children and staff.

The national education ministry has also directed the shutdown of 47 boarding schools across the country as a precautionary measure. Parents in nearby regions, fearful of further attacks, have rushed to withdraw their children from schools, highlighting the widespread panic.

President Bola Tinubu has cancelled international engagements, including attendance at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to focus on the crisis. The abduction has also drawn international attention, with U.S. officials urging Nigeria to take urgent and sustained action to curb violence against Christians.

The Pentagon confirmed that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth raised concerns during talks with Nigeria’s national security adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

Eyewitness accounts paint a harrowing picture of the raid. A staff member described hearing motorcycles and cars before attackers forced their way into the compound, firing shots and breaking through gates.

The assailants reportedly operated for nearly three hours, moving through dormitories without interruption. Children’s cries filled the compound as terrified staff scrambled to protect them. A security guard was injured during the assault, and witnesses recounted the gang’s eventual departure after loading captives into vehicles.

The incident has revived painful memories of the 2014 Chibok abduction, when Boko Haram militants kidnapped nearly 300 girls, many of whom remain missing.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack, analysts believe heavily armed bandit gangs are behind it. These groups, motivated largely by ransom payments, have increasingly aligned with jihadist factions from the northeast, raising concerns about a dangerous convergence of criminal and ideological violence. Their camps, hidden in vast forests spanning several states, have become strongholds from which they launch raids on schools, villages, and churches.

The broader implications of this crisis are profound. Nigeria’s education system, already strained, faces further disruption as schools close en masse. Communities are left traumatized, and parents express despair at the government’s inability to protect children.

The abduction also underscores the fragility of Nigeria’s security apparatus, which struggles to contain both criminal gangs and extremist groups. For many Nigerians, the question is not only how to rescue the abducted children but also how to restore confidence in the state’s capacity to safeguard its citizens.

This mass kidnapping is more than a local tragedy; it is a national emergency that threatens the future of education and stability in Nigeria. The coming days will test the government’s resolve, the resilience of affected communities, and the international community’s willingness to support Nigeria in confronting this escalating crisis.