Nigeria: 315 students and teachers abducted from a Catholic school

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) confirmed the abduction of 315 people from a Catholic school in Niger State.
The attack, which occurred in Papiri (Agwarra), took place just days after the kidnapping of 25 high school girls in neighboring Kebbi State.

Faced with the gravity of the situation, President Bola Tinubu decided to cancel his participation in the G20 summit in Johannesburg.
Several states, including Niger, Katsina, and Plateau, have in turn ordered the preventive closure of all schools to prevent further abductions.

For several years, armed groups labeled as “bandits” have carried out attacks in northern and central Nigeria, where state presence remains limited.
These mass abductions echo the trauma of Chibok (2014), when Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls from their dormitory, sparking global mobilization under the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls. Over a hundred of these young girls are still missing.

This incident rekindles questions about school security, the protection of rural populations, and the Nigerian state’s ability to restore its authority in peripheral regions.