Minna, Nigeria, November 23, 2025
Armed gunmen abducted 315 students and teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State, northern Nigeria, on November 21, 2025, in one of the largest mass kidnappings in the country, prompting urgent security responses and school closures.
The victims include 303 students and 12 teachers, according to a confirmed headcount by the Christian Association of Nigeria. Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago has ordered the indefinite closure of all schools in the state following the attack. Security forces and local hunters have been deployed to locate the abducted individuals.
This incident marks the second major school abduction in northern Nigeria within a single week. Four days prior, armed gunmen kidnapped 25 female students from a high school in neighboring Kebbi State. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack on St. Mary’s Catholic School, similar incidents in the region typically involve armed bandits or extremist groups.
The mass kidnapping has intensified fears about the safety of educational institutions across northern Nigeria. Parents are evacuating children from other schools in the area, reflecting growing anxiety over the recurring threat. The federal government faces mounting pressure to enhance security measures to prevent further attacks and protect civilians.
Internationally, the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles, who oversee St. Mary’s Catholic School, have called for prayers worldwide for the safe return of the abducted students and teachers. The abductions underscore the persistent security challenges confronting Nigeria’s education sector, threatening both Christian and Muslim communities.
The scale of this event, one of the largest in Nigeria’s history, echoes previous high-profile kidnappings like the 2014 Chibok girls’ abduction. It highlights a disturbing trend of targeting schools as leverage amid ongoing insecurity fueled by banditry, terrorism, and limited law enforcement capacity.
Continued instability in northern Nigeria not only disrupts education but also poses broader risks to societal welfare, prompting urgent calls for coordinated national and international action to safeguard the country’s vulnerable populations.