Nigerian School Abduction: 253 Children and 12 Teachers Remain Captive as 50 Escape

A mass abduction at St. Mary's co-education school in Nigeria's Niger state has left 253 schoolchildren and 12 teachers still in captivity, following a raid by armed gunmen on Friday, November 21, 2025. Fifty children have managed to escape their captors since the incident, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Sunday.

The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Friday morning in the remote Papiri community, initially saw 303 students and all 12 teachers taken by the assailants. The victims, both male and female, range in age from 8 to 18 years old, as reported by The Hindu on Sunday.

This latest incident marks the second mass school abduction in Nigeria within a single week, intensifying security fears across the nation. Just four days prior, 25 schoolgirls were seized from a school in neighboring Kebbi state, where the vice-principal was tragically killed, according to Global News.

The Niger State Police Command confirmed the deployment of military and security forces to the community in pursuit of the abductors and to locate the remaining captives. In response to the escalating crisis, the Niger State government has ordered the closure of numerous schools as a precautionary measure, as reported by forbes.

President Bola Tinubu has also postponed international engagements, including his attendance at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to address the dire security situation, The Japan Times stated on Sunday. This highlights the gravity of the crisis and the urgent need for a resolution to ensure the safe return of all those abducted.

International bodies have swiftly condemned the abduction, with the UN Deputy Secretary-General expressing deep alarm on Saturday and UNESCO firmly denouncing the attack on Friday. UNICEF has also called for the immediate protection of students, emphasizing that schools must be sanctuaries, not targets.

• The St. Mary's school abduction is one of Nigeria's largest mass kidnappings, with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) confirming the revised total of 303 students and 12 teachers after an initial lower estimate. This figure represents nearly half of the school's total enrollment of 629 students, according to AFP cited by The Jerusalem Post. The scale of the abduction underscores the severe vulnerability of educational institutions in the region.
• The incident follows a disturbing pattern of escalating abductions across Nigeria, which has seen both Christian and Muslim communities targeted in recent days. Beyond the Kebbi state school abduction, a church in Kwara state was also attacked earlier this week, resulting in two fatalities and the kidnapping of 38 worshippers, Reuters reported. These events suggest a broader security challenge impacting various segments of society.
• Nigerian authorities, including the Niger State government, indicated that the St. Mary's School reopened despite prior intelligence warnings of heightened threats in the area. However, Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of the Niger state chapter of CAN, disputed this claim on Saturday, stating the school received no official circular to close, according to itv News. This discrepancy highlights potential communication breakdowns in security protocols.
• Mass kidnappings for ransom have become a persistent security challenge in northern Nigeria for over a decade, with criminal gangs often targeting remote boarding schools due to their perceived lack of security. Experts suggest these large-scale abductions increase the likelihood of substantial government ransom payments, which are more lucrative than individual ransoms, as noted by Global News.
• The infamous 2014 abduction of nearly 300 Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram remains a stark reminder of Nigeria's struggle with such incidents, with some of those girls still missing a decade later. UNICEF reported last year that only 37% of schools across 10 conflict-affected states in Nigeria have early warning systems to detect threats, underscoring systemic weaknesses in school security.
• International Christian Concern (ICC) President Shawn Wright issued a strong call to action on Saturday, urging the Nigerian government to deploy specialized rescue forces immediately and to ensure accountability for the perpetrators. Wright also called on the U.S. government to consider economic sanctions if Nigeria fails to protect religious minorities, as reported by ICC.
• The recent surge in kidnappings has prompted neighboring states to also close their schools as a precautionary measure, and the national education ministry has ordered 47 boarding secondary schools nationwide to temporarily shut down. This widespread closure reflects the profound impact of these abductions on the educational landscape and the daily lives of Nigerian families.