“More Than 200 Gone: A Catholic Boarding School Faces a Terrifying Crisis”

In the quiet hours before dawn, the world can feel unbearably fragile. On a cold morning in Niger State, Nigeria, that fragility came alive as gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic school in Papiri, a boarding campus that should have been a haven for children. Instead, it became the stage for fear, confusion, and heartbreak.

According to the Christian Association of Nigeria, the attackers abducted 215 students and 12 teachers in what is being described as a major mass kidnapping. The Kaduna-state police and military have been deployed, with tactical units “combing the forests” in an urgent effort to rescue those taken.

Families in Papiri are distraught. Some of the children who escaped ran home; others remain missing, with parents left clutching fragments of hope and an impossible silence. The local Diocese confirmed that a security staff member was shot during the raid, heightening the drama and danger.

This abduction is not an isolated incident. In recent days, other attacks have rattled the region: 25 girls were taken from a school in Kebbi State, and earlier in the week, gunmen also attacked a church, abducting dozens. Analysts say these mass kidnappings are often carried out by criminal gangs — sometimes former herders — who capitalize on weak security to demand ransom.

What makes this case especially painful is the warning that came before: the Niger State government reportedly had intelligence about rising threats in the area. Yet St. Mary’s School reopened without seeking the state’s explicit clearance. The government later expressed deep sadness, while also pointing to what it called an “avoidable risk” taken by the school administration.

Security forces say they remain committed to bringing the abducted children and staff home safely. Still, the months ahead are likely to be filled with anguish for parents waiting for any sign of their children — and for many, the hardest question will be whether this nightmare ends without ransom, and without further tragedy.

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Sources Al Jazeera The Cable (Nigeria) Vanguard (Nigeria) Sahara Reporters Washington Post