303 Students and 12 Staff Kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State, Nigeria

At least 303 students and 12 teachers were abducted from St. Mary’s, a private Catholic school in Niger State, in north-central Nigeria, after gunmen attacked the campus on Friday. Officials say some pupils escaped during the raid, but a final count raised the total taken from an earlier figure of 215.

Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, said a post-raid census found the higher number. Officials reported that 88 additional pupils were seized while trying to flee; those abducted include both boys and girls aged roughly 10 to 18.

Local police confirmed security forces have been deployed to the area and are "combing the forests" in search of the missing children. Authorities also said several federal and state schools in northern Nigeria were temporarily closed as a precautionary measure following the attack.

Related attacks across the region

The Niger State abduction comes amid a wider spike in mass kidnappings and communal violence in Nigeria. This week gunmen attacked a church in neighboring Kwara State, killing at least two people and abducting worshippers, including the pastor. Separately, attackers stormed a government girls' boarding school in Kebbi State and abducted 25 female students; the vice-principal was killed in that incident.

Voices from the community

"It's traumatic. I really do not believe in the authorities, to be very honest," said Eze Gloria Chidinma, a content creator whose younger sister is a pupil at St. Mary’s and escaped the raid. Chidinma told the Associated Press that she feels officials are not doing enough to prevent school abductions. Her mother and elder brother were kidnapped in a separate incident last year.

Human-rights advocate Bulama Bukarti, who focuses on security and development, emphasized the complexity of violence in Nigeria:

"Yes, these extremist groups have sadly killed many Christians. However, they have also massacred tens of thousands of Muslims."

International attention and context

The spate of abductions has drawn attention from U.S. officials. Earlier this month, the U.S. designated Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act, citing systematic violations of religious freedom. A U.S. official also posted that he met with Nigeria's national security adviser to discuss escalating violence.

Nigeria faces layered security challenges: armed groups that kidnap for ransom, religiously motivated attacks, communal and ethnic clashes, and frequent disputes between farmers and herders over scarce land and water. Authorities say rescue operations are ongoing and investigations continue.

Developments are continuing. Families and local leaders are calling for swift action to secure the release of the students and to protect schools across the region.