A state of emergency is unfolding across Nigeria’s education system following one of the largest mass abductions in the country’s recent history. Gunmen seized over 300 students and teachers from a school in Niger state, an incident that has forced the closure of schools nationwide and triggered a severe security alert.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Friday at St. Mary’s school. Initial reports indicated 227 victims, but a verification process by a local Christian organization has revised the figure to 303 students, aged eight to eighteen, and 12 teachers. This represents nearly half the school’s total enrollment. The assault lasted for hours, with attackers reportedly moving unchallenged through dormitories.
This kidnapping is the second major incident within a week, following the abduction of 25 girls from a secondary school in neighboring Kebbi state. In response, the governor of Niger state has ordered all schools closed, a measure echoed by several nearby regions. The federal education ministry has also mandated the shutdown of dozens of boarding schools across the country.
The national government has not officially confirmed the number of victims. The president has canceled international travel to focus on the crisis, while state authorities say security forces are conducting assessments.
These events have ignited widespread public fear and criticism of the government’s ability to protect citizens. A parent in Abuja, collecting her child from a closed boarding school, expressed despair over the scale of the kidnapping and questioned official efforts to ensure safety.
The abductions are attributed to heavily armed criminal gangs operating in Nigeria’s northwestern and central regions. These groups, often referred to as bandits, frequently target schools and villages in areas with limited security presence to kidnap for ransom. While not ideologically driven, analysts note concerning links between these gangs and jihadist factions from the northeast, complicating the security landscape.
This tragedy evokes painful memories of the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping, where hundreds were taken by Boko Haram insurgents, many of whom remain missing. The latest crisis underscores a persistent and devastating pattern of violence targeting the most vulnerable, plunging communities into grief and casting a long shadow over the nation’s stability.