Early Friday morning, armed men attacked a Catholic boarding school in northwestern Nigeria and abducted several children and staff. It’s the latest In the midst of a series of kidnappings The attack comes just days after 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped in a neighboring state in Africa’s most populous country. The abductions come as the West African country faces increased scrutiny from the Trump administration amid ongoing concerns about violence against Christians.
The attack and kidnapping took place at St. Mary’s School in Niger State. Local authorities did not immediately say how many students and staff were abducted or who might be responsible for the attack. Local Nigerian broadcaster Arise TV said 52 school children were taken away.
The Christian Association of Nigeria announced on Saturday that 303 children and 12 teachers had been taken. largely. CAN Niger state chapter president, Pastor Bulusu Dauwa Yohanna, said the total number was determined “after verification exercise and the conduct of the final census.”
Nigerian police officials said the kidnapping occurred early Friday morning, after which military and security forces were deployed to the community. They described St Mary’s as a secondary school for children aged 12 to 17 years.
Abubakar Usman, head of the Niger state government, said in a statement that the incident occurred despite prior intelligence warnings about the growing threat.
“Unfortunately, St. Mary’s School moved forward with its return to school without notifying or seeking permission from the provincial government, putting students and staff at avoidable risk,” the statement said.
The abduction happened a few days later On Monday, armed men attacked a high school and abducted 25 female students. It is located in Maga, neighboring Kebbi State, about 165 miles from Papiri. One of the girls later ran away and is safe, the school’s principal said.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has postponed his visit to this weekend’s Group of 20 (G20) summit after pledging earlier this week to step up relief efforts.
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“We are heartbroken by the abduction of our daughters in Kebbi and the tragic loss of Brigadier General Musa Uba and his brave soldiers who fell in Borno. We pray for their families and the families of the abducted schoolgirls,” Tinubu said in a social media post on Wednesday. “I have directed security agencies to act swiftly and bring the girls back to Kebbi State.”
Nigeria has recently been in the spotlight after the following incidents: president trump The Nigerian government named the country and claimed that Christians were being persecuted, a claim the Nigerian government rejected.
“If the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians, there is a good chance that the United States will immediately cease aid and assistance to Nigeria and come ‘shooting guns’ into this now disgraced country to once and for all wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrific atrocities. I hereby direct the Department of the Army to prepare for possible action,” Trump said in a Truth social post earlier this month.
Earlier this month, Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tugar denied Trump’s claims in a post on X, saying: “Nigeria is a God-fearing nation that values faith, tolerance, diversity and inclusiveness.”
In October, Trump placed Nigeria on the State Department’s list of countries that violate religious freedom.
Reuters reported on Friday that Tinubu sent his national security adviser and a broad Nigerian delegation to Washington earlier this week to meet with Trump administration officials and U.S. lawmakers.
A senior US State Department official told Reuters on Thursday that the White House was considering anti-terrorism sanctions and the involvement of the Pentagon as part of a plan to pressure Abuja to better protect Christian communities and religious freedom.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Niger and Kebbi states, but analysts and locals say gangs often target schools, tourists and villagers in remote areas with kidnappings for ransom. Officials say most of the insurgents are former nomads who took up arms against rural villages in response to conflicts between them over scarce resources.
The abductions have underscored the insecurity and dire consequences prevalent in Africa’s most populous country.
At least 1,500 students have been abducted in the region since Boko Haram jihadist militants captured 276 Chibok schoolgirls more than a decade ago. But bandits are also active in the area, and analysts say gangs often target schools to attract attention.
Analysts and residents blame the insecurity on a failure to prosecute known attackers and widespread corruption that limits the supply of weapons to security forces while ensuring a steady supply for gangs.
Satellite images show the school’s site is rectangular, walled and attached to an adjacent elementary school, with more than 50 classroom and dormitory buildings. It is located on the outskirts of the town of Aguara, close to the main roads of Yelwa and Mokwa.
