Armed Gunmen Abduct 303 Students and 12 Teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State

At least 303 students and 12 teachers were abducted from St. Mary’s, a private Catholic school in Niger State, north-central Nigeria, after an attack on Friday, authorities and local church leaders say. Some pupils managed to escape during the raid; the abducted children are reported to be between 10 and 18 years old.

The Christian Association of Nigeria’s Niger State chapter conducted a full census that raised the earlier figure of 215 to the confirmed total of 303 students and 12 staff. Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who visited the school to meet parents, said additional pupils were captured while attempting to flee. His spokesman, Daniel Atori, provided details on the ages and gender of those taken.

State and federal education authorities have temporarily closed a number of schools across northern Nigeria as a precautionary measure. Local police and security forces say they have deployed to the area and are "combing the forests" and surrounding countryside in search of the abducted children.

The attack on St. Mary’s follows other recent mass kidnappings in the region: gunmen attacked a church in neighbouring Kwara State earlier in the week — leaving at least two dead and several worshippers abducted — and armed men stormed a girls’ boarding school in Kebbi State, abducting 25 female students and killing the vice-principal.

Relatives and local residents voiced frustration with the pace of official action. Content creator Eze Gloria Chidinma, whose younger sister escaped the St. Mary’s raid, described the experience as "traumatic" and said she does not trust authorities to prevent future abductions. Chidinma also reported that other family members were previously kidnapped in an unrelated incident.

Observers say Nigeria continues to face multiple, overlapping security challenges: armed criminal gangs that kidnap for ransom; violent extremist groups that target civilians for sectarian or ideological reasons; and communal clashes driven by competition for land and water. Human rights advocate Bulama Bukarti noted that extremist violence has claimed victims from both Christian and Muslim communities.

The spate of abductions coincides with the visit of a Nigerian delegation to Washington for talks with U.S. officials about rising violence. U.S. leaders have publicly expressed concern about religiously motivated violence in Nigeria and recent policy moves have highlighted that concern. A senior U.S. official, Pete Hegseth, said on social media that he met Nigeria’s national security advisor to discuss the growing violence and efforts to protect vulnerable communities.

What authorities say they are doing: local police report search-and-rescue operations in nearby forests; state officials have condemned the raid; and security agencies say they will step up patrols and school protections while investigations continue.

The situation remains fluid. Families of the abducted students continue to plead for their safe return while security forces intensify search efforts.