The security crisis in Nigeria has escalated after gunmen stormed St. Mary’s School, a Catholic institution in Papiri community of Agwara Local Government Area, Niger State, abducting an estimated 215 students and 12 staff members on Friday.
The mass abduction, confirmed by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) chapter in Niger State, occurred just four days after dozens of students were kidnapped from a secondary school in Kebbi State.
The attack has forced the Federal Government and multiple state administrations to institute school closures as a preventative measure.
The Federal Ministry of Education issued a circular directing the immediate closure of 47 Federal Unity Colleges nationwide. The Ministry mentioned the recent security challenges and the need to prevent any security breaches, as the reason for the drastic action. Affected schools include institutions in Zaria, Sokoto, Potiskum, and Abaji and others.
In addition to the federal directive, several states have ordered shutdowns. Niger State ordered the temporary closure of all boarding schools in the Niger North Senatorial District. Kwara State ordered the closure of over 50 schools. Katsina State ordered a total shutdown of schools. Plateau State announced the closure of all junior secondary schools.
The Niger State Government blamed the management of St. Mary’s School for the incident. The Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Usman, stated that the school failed to comply with a prior government directive to temporarily close all boarding schools in the affected zone after intelligence reports.
Regrettably, St. Mary’s School proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the state government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk – Usman
The terrorists reportedly stormed the St. Mary’s school around 2:00 am on Friday, shooting the security guard before gaining access to the school hostel. According to reports from the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, teachers were among those kidnapped, and one security operative was severely injured.
A truck seized from the community was initially used to move the victims but was later abandoned when it developed a fault, forcing the students and staff to be marched into the forest on foot.
Niger state has witnessed the closure of over 400 primary and secondary schools following the abductions at Government Science College, Kagara, and Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School, Tegina, incidents that have left thousands of children out of school.
The recurrence of school abductions, which the group Save the Children estimates saw more than 1,680 schoolchildren kidnapped between 2014 and 2022 is having a devastating effect on education in the North.
Parents in Kebbi State described the current situation as “unbearable,” with fear and trauma leading some families to withdraw their children from boarding schools altogether.
Civil society organizations (CSOs) report that persistent attacks lead to school closures, low attendance, and rising dropout rates, particularly for girls.
A 2024 UNICEF assessment revealed that only 37 per cent of surveyed schools across 10 states had adequate early-warning systems. Lawmakers and school officials note that many schools lack sufficient security guards, and in many cases, security forces are deployed reactively rather than proactively.
Even where schools are fenced, officials note that bandits often scale the perimeter. A principal in Kebbi noted that the Federal Government Girls Secondary School in Birnin Yauri was fenced, yet bandits still managed to enter and abduct students.
While the Safe Schools Initiative (ratified in 2019) was established to provide funding and protection, investigations indicate its implementation has been slow, leaving schools, teachers, and students exposed to continuous threats.
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