Families in the Dark After 303 Students Abducted from Papiri Boarding School

Parents of students seized in the mass abduction at a Catholic boarding school in Papiri, Niger state, say officials have given them little or no information about rescue efforts, and the stress has taken a deadly toll on at least one family member.

Emmanuel Ejeh, whose 12-year-old son was among the children taken, said no government official has briefed families on progress. 'Nobody from the government has briefed us about the abduction,' he said, adding that his wife fainted after hearing the news. Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who runs the school, said two parents of abducted children have died, including one from a heart attack.

Armed men abducted 303 children from the remote Papiri community. At least 50 students have escaped since the seizure. Authorities report that helicopters and ground troops have been deployed and that military pressure is being applied to secure the children's release, but many families say they still lack clear, timely updates.

The Papiri attack followed a nearby incident in Kebbi state in which gunmen seized 25 students; authorities later reported those students were rescued and reunited with their families. Across Nigeria, at least 1,799 students have been taken in the country's largest school abductions since the widely publicized Chibok seizure in 2014.

Some parents worry for the health and well-being of children still missing. Danteni Mathew said three of his children were abducted and one escaped; his youngest, Yahaya, remains missing and suffers from hepatitis C. Pastor Yohanna Yakubu described arriving at the school to find a dormitory window broken and said the absence of official information has been deeply frustrating for families.

Promises of Better Protection, but Gaps Remain

After major past kidnappings, the government launched a Safe School Initiative designed to train staff, install early-warning systems and, in some cases, station soldiers at schools deemed vulnerable. It is unclear whether Papiri had received such protections. A recent UNICEF assessment found just 37% of schools across 10 northern states had early-warning systems.

Critics and activists argue that promises have not translated into consistent protection. Activist Aisha Yesufu, a founder of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign, said, 'Nigerian lives do not matter to the Nigerian government,' adding that officials are more focused on image than on meaningful safeguards.

Who Is Behind the Attacks?

Analysts say both criminal gangs and extremist groups exploit the tactic of mass abduction because it increases pressure on governments to negotiate ransoms. The country faces dozens of armed groups operating in remote areas with limited security presence. James Barnett, a research fellow at the Hudson Institute, said groups from across the Sahel region have been moving into northern Nigeria and that bandit and jihadist factions can share similar incentives to carry out mass kidnappings.

Families at the school compound continue to wait for news, clinging to hope for their children's safe return while demanding clearer communication and faster action from authorities.