ABUJA, Nigeria — Armed men attacked a Catholic boarding school in a western region of Nigeria and abducted several schoolchildren and staff early Friday, the latest in a spate of abductions in Africa’s most populous country that came just days after 25 schoolgirls were abducted in a neighboring state.
The attack and abductions took place at St. Mary’s School, a Catholic institution in Agwara local government’s Papiri community, said Abubakar Usman, the secretary to the Niger state government. He did not disclose the number of students and staff abducted, nor who might be responsible for the attack.
Local media broadcaster Arise TV said 52 schoolchildren were abducted.
The Niger State Police Command said the abductions took place in the early hours of Friday and that military and security forces have since been deployed to the community. It described St. Mary’s as a secondary school, which in Nigeria would serve children between the ages of 12 and 17.
A satellite view shows the school compound is attached to an adjoining primary school, with more than 50 classroom and dormitory buildings. It is located near a major road linking the towns of Yelwa and Mokwa.
The statement by the secretary to the Niger state government said the incident occurred despite prior intelligence warnings of heightened threats.
“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,” it read.
Umar Yunus, a Papiri resident, said there were only local security arrangements and no official police or government forces securing the school at the time of the attack on Friday.
The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora said in a statement that a security staffer was “badly shot” during the attack.
The abductions took place days after gunmen on Monday attacked a high school and abducted 25 schoolgirls in the neighboring Kebbi state, in Maga, around 170 km (105 miles) from Papiri. One the girls later escaped and is safe, the school’s principal said.
In a separate attack on Monday in Kwara state, which borders Niger state, armed men attacked a church, killing 2 people. During the attack, 38 worshippers were also abducted, Femi Agbabiaka, secretary of the Christ Apostolic Church, told The Associated Press on Friday. He said the armed men are demanding a ransom of 100 million naira ($69,000), for each of the abductees.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu postponed his trip to this weekend’s Group of 20 summit in South Africa in light of Monday’s abductions and the attack on the church.
“We will use every instrument of the state to bring these girls home and to ensure that the perpetrators of this wickedness face the full weight of justice,” Nigeria’s Vice-President Kashim Shettima said during a visit to Kebbi state on Wednesday.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Niger and Kebbi state, but analysts and locals say gangs often target schools, travelers and remote villagers in kidnappings for ransom. Authorities say the gunmen are mostly former herders who have taken up arms against farming communities after clashes between them over strained resources.
Abductions have come to define the insecurity prevailing in Africa’s most populous nation and the painful consequences.
At least 1,500 students have been abducted in the region since Boko Haram jihadi extremists seized 276 Chibok schoolgirls more than a decade ago. But bandits are also active in the region, and analysts say gangs often target schools to gain attention.
Nigeria was recently thrust into the spotlight after U.S. President Donald Trump singled the country out, stating that Christians are being persecuted - an allegation that the government rejected.
While Christians are among those targeted, analysts say the majority of victims of armed groups are Muslims in Nigeria’s Muslim-majority north, where most attacks occur.
Analysts and residents blame the insecurity on a failure to prosecute known attackers, and the rampant corruption that limits weapons supplies to security forces while ensuring a steady supply to the gangs.
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Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal; Mohammed Ibrahim in Kaduna, Nigeria, also contributed to this report.
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