Friday, November 21, 2025 - Bandits have abducted unknown number of students of St John primary and secondary school in Papiri ward of Agwara local government area of Niger state.
The incident was said to have occurred around 2 am on Friday
as details of the abduction remain unclear.
The Niger State Government has confirmed the abduction
saying it asked all boarding schools and construction in the area to close
down.
It regretted it was shocked to hear the boarding school had
reopened.
In a statement by the Secretary to the Niger State
Government, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, the Government stated it received prior
intelligence report indicating an increased threat level in parts of Niger
North Senatorial District and issued a clear directive suspending all
construction activities and ordering the temporary closure of all boarding
schools within the affected zone as a precautionary measure.
It said: “The Niger State Government received with deep
sadness the disturbing news of the kidnapping of pupils from St. Mary’s School
in Agwara Local Government Area. The exact number of abducted pupils is yet to
be confirmed as security agencies continue to assess the situation.
“This unfortunate incident comes despite prior intelligence
report obtained by the government indicating an increased threat level in parts
of Niger North Senatorial District.
” In response to these credible security alerts, the State
Government had earlier issued a clear directive suspending all construction
activities and ordering the temporary closure of all boarding schools within
the affected zone as a precautionary measure.
“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 the staff to avoidable risk.”
Niger State Government said that security agencies have
commenced a full-scale investigation and search-and-rescue operations for the
safe return of the pupils.
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