Nigeria has been hit by one of the deadliest mass abductions in years after armed men kidnapped more than 300 schoolchildren in Niger State on Friday, heightening concerns over worsening security across the country.
Initial reports estimated around 227 students had been taken. But on Saturday, the Christian Association of Nigeria announced that the actual number was significantly higher. According to the group, 315 people were abducted from St. Mary’s Co-Education Catholic School — 303 students and 12 teachers.
The association said a verification exercise revealed that an additional 88 students were captured after attempting to flee from the attackers.
“No group has yet claimed responsibility,” the statement added.
A Second Abduction in Just Days
Only days earlier, gunmen struck again — this time at a secondary school in Kebbi State — seizing 25 girls.
Both kidnappings come shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened military action over what he described as the killing of Christians by extremist groups in Nigeria. While the connection remains unclear, the timing has intensified political and security anxiety.
The Nigerian government has not yet publicly confirmed the total number of abducted individuals. Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago told reporters that security agencies were still conducting a headcount and would release the final figures later in the day.
Bago, who had already ordered several schools to shut down due to security risks, has now mandated the closure of all schools in the state.
In response to the growing threat, Nigeria’s national education ministry has directed 47 boarding schools across the country to suspend operations until further notice.
Tinubu Cancels International Trip as Crisis Escalates
President Bola Tinubu has cancelled upcoming international engagements — including his trip to the G20 Summit in Johannesburg — to manage the emergency.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Pentagon released a statement following discussions between U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Nigerian National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu. The U.S. urged Nigeria to “take both urgent and lasting action to stop violence against Christians.”
A Painful Reminder of Chibok
This latest kidnapping has revived traumatic memories of the infamous Chibok abductions of 2014, when Boko Haram militants kidnapped nearly 300 schoolgirls from Borno State. Many of those victims remain missing more than a decade later.
Security analysts warn that the recent surge in school kidnappings signals a dangerous resurgence of armed criminal networks and extremist groups across northern and central Nigeria.
As rescue efforts intensify, many Nigerians fear the country may be entering yet another prolonged cycle of school-targeted violence.
