The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) says 315 people students and teachers were abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State. Rescue operations, national outcry and demands for accountability follow.
9The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has issued a grave warning: 315 people, including 303 pupils and 12 teachers, were reportedly abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State. CAN’s statement has escalated national alarm and drawn intensified federal attention to mass kidnappings that have plagued parts of northern and central Nigeria.
CAN’s Niger State leadership confirmed the figure during a press briefing, saying the abduction occurred in the predawn hours when armed assailants stormed the school compound, shot the gatekeeper and overpowered the guard. Witnesses and local officials say attackers arrived on motorcycles and quickly overwhelmed the school’s defenses before herding pupils and staff away into surrounding bushland.
Religious leaders and civil-society groups have been unequivocal in their condemnation. CAN called the attack an atrocity and demanded that security forces prioritize a swift, intelligence-led rescue operation. Church leaders also urged parents to remain calm while appealing for immediate government action to secure the safe release of the captives and to provide necessary medical and psychological care upon their release.
The federal government and security agencies have mobilized resources. Military and police units were dispatched to the area, and national intelligence services say they are working around the clock to trace the abductors’ routes. Authorities have acknowledged the complexity of rescue operations in heavily forested terrain and stressed that indiscriminate military action could endanger the hostages.
The mass abduction comes amid a larger security crisis in Nigeria: repeated attacks where armed groups target schools, market places, and places of worship for kidnapping and ransom. Analysts say the business model of ransom-taking, combined with porous borders and abundant small arms, has incentivized such high-profile raids. CAN leaders have called for emergency measures to harden school defenses and to supply schools with verified, vetted security personnel.
The scale of the reported 315 abductees has created public outrage. Parents gathered at police stations and state government offices to demand information and action. Videos and photos circulated on social media showing anxious parents and candle-lit vigils, while community leaders coordinated with security forces to supply local intelligence.
International response has been swift. Several foreign missions expressed concern about the incident and offered assistance in crisis management and forensic support. Humanitarian actors emphasized the urgent need for child-protection services and the psychological care of survivors should they be rescued.
Security analysts caution that rescue operations require careful planning to avoid friendly-fire casualties and harm to hostages. They recommend a strategy that integrates intelligence gathering, negotiation channels, targeted cordon-and-search operations, and improved rural civil-police coordination. A rush to an ill-prepared assault could lead to mass casualties, while prolonged negotiations risk emboldening kidnappers if perceived as profitable.
CAN and other religious networks also pointed to a pattern: schools that resumed normal activities after extended lockdowns without thorough state clearance have been especially vulnerable. The association urged all schools to coordinate directly with security services before reopening, insisting that no school should resume full boarding activities until adequate protection measures are in place.
Humanitarian experts highlight the long-term implications. Children abducted and returned often require extensive psychosocial care, reintegration into schooling, and sometimes medical attention for injuries. There is also the risk that traumatized youth become more vulnerable to recruitment by criminal networks, unless community outreach and resilience-building programs are instituted.
Legal scholars and human-rights advocates called for robust investigations to identify accomplices and local facilitators. They urged that culpable public officers or private actors who intentionally or negligently compromised school security be held accountable. Many analysts also emphasized the need for transparency: families and communities must receive accurate casualty and hostage figures to reduce harmful rumors and panic.
The Niger State government said it is collaborating with federal agencies and CAN to verify the numbers and coordinate rescue and relief. Officials promised frequent updates to the public while cautioning against the spread of unverified social-media reports that may hamper operations.
For now, parents and the church await tangible action. CAN’s confirmation of 315 abducted persons has intensified appeals for an urgent national strategy: stronger protection for schools, targeted intelligence operations, and a firm commitment to dismantling networks behind mass kidnappings.
The tragedy underscores one stark reality: when children cannot be guaranteed safety in their classrooms, the very foundations of community life are threatened. For religious leaders, parents, and the state, the imperative is to ensure that the affected children and staff are returned safely and that decisive measures are taken so that school becomes a place of learning again, not a target for criminal enterprise.
