Parents of students at St Mary Catholic Nursery, Primary, and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, Niger State, have rushed to the school to take their children home following a recent mass abduction that has heightened fears of further attacks.

The panic ensued after armed bandits stormed the school in the early hours of Friday, renewing anxiety in a region already tense due to repeated school kidnappings. A video obtained exclusively by SaharaReporters shows parents in a “sad mood” hurriedly carrying their wards out of the campus.

Some parents, whose children had narrowly escaped previous abductions, were seen unloading belongings outside the school, while others arrived on motorcycles, packing children’s bags and personal items before leaving.

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Security Response and Government Criticism

In response to the attack, the Niger State Police Command deployed tactical police units, military personnel, and other security agencies to search nearby forests and surrounding areas, aiming to rescue the kidnapped students unharmed.

The Niger State Government criticised the school’s management, alleging that St Mary’s reopened “without notifying or seeking clearance” from authorities despite prior intelligence warning of elevated security risks in the area.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State and the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora condemned the attack, describing it as a source of “fear and distress within the school community.” The diocese confirmed that security agencies are coordinating with local leaders and government authorities to ensure the safe release of the children.

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A Rising Wave of School Abductions

This incident follows closely on the heels of another mass abduction earlier this week, in which 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped from a boarding school in Kebbi State.

The surge in kidnappings highlights an escalating crisis in northern Nigeria, where criminal gangs increasingly target schools to demand ransom, leaving families and communities in deep fear.