Gunmen have kidnapped an undisclosed number of students during an early-morning attack on St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, located in the Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State. The incident occurred on Friday when the attackers, described by witnesses as arriving in large numbers, stormed the private Catholic school on more than 60 motorcycles accompanied by a van.

According to local sources, the assailants shot the school’s gatekeeper, leaving him critically injured before abducting an unknown number of students. As of press time, authorities had not confirmed the exact number of victims; however, community members fear the figure could exceed 100.

The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the incident. In a statement, Police Public Relations Officer SP Wasiu Abiodun said tactical units, military personnel, and other security operatives have been deployed to the area.

He noted that the combined security forces are conducting extensive search operations across surrounding forests to ensure the safe and immediate rescue of the abducted students.

Commissioner of Police, CP Adamu Elleman, urged residents to remain calm and assist security agencies by providing credible information that could support the ongoing rescue efforts.

Elleman added that the incident will be thoroughly investigated, emphasizing that appropriate actions will be taken against the school management for resuming academic activities despite the state government’s directive ordering the closure of schools in the area due to heightened security threats.

The Niger State Government has described the abduction as “deeply saddening and avoidable.” In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Abubakar Usman, authorities confirmed that the exact number of kidnapped pupils has not yet been determined, as security agencies are still compiling accurate information.

The government disclosed that it had previously received credible intelligence pointing to elevated security threats across parts of the Niger North Senatorial District. Consequently, it issued a directive suspending all construction activities and ordering the temporary closure of all boarding schools in the affected zone.

“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 staff to avoidable risk,” the statement read.

Security agencies have since launched a full-scale investigation and intensified search-and-rescue operations to secure the safe return of the abducted students.