More than 100 pupils have been abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State after armed gangs stormed the premises overnight, officials confirmed on Friday, November 21st. It is the second school kidnapping in less than a week.
State government secretary Abubakar Usman said the exact number of abducted pupils is still being verified as security agencies assess the situation. Police reported that gunmen entered the school hostel around 2:00 a.m. and took an undetermined number of students.
Tactical police units and the military are now combing nearby forests in search of the children.
The incident follows Monday’s abduction of 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi State, of whom 24 remain missing. It also comes after gunmen attacked a church in western Nigeria on Tuesday, November 18th, killing two people during a live-streamed service and reportedly kidnapping dozens of worshippers.
The wave of attacks arrives amid increased international scrutiny of Nigeria’s security situation which the government insists it is working to stabilize.
