More than 300 Children Abducted from Nigerian Catholic School as Security Crisis Deepens

Sunday 23rd November 2025

by inAfrika Newsroom

A Nigeria school kidnapping in Niger State has left more than 300 children and staff missing, in one of the country’s worst mass abductions on record. The Christian Association of Nigeria said a verification exercise showed 315 pupils and staff were taken from St Mary’s Catholic School on Friday, revising an earlier lower estimate.

Gunmen reportedly stormed the boarding school before dawn, forcing children and teachers into the surrounding forests. The attack came days after other incidents, including the kidnapping of Muslim schoolgirls in Kebbi State and a deadly assault on a church in Kwara. Consequently, the Nigeria school kidnapping has intensified scrutiny of the wider insecurity affecting northern and central states.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered all schools in Niger State to close and announced new security deployments. However, church leaders and civil society groups say repeated promises have not yet translated into lasting protection for rural communities. International pressure has also escalated after former US President Donald Trump threatened possible military action and sanctions over attacks on Christians, even as analysts note that both Christians and Muslims are victims of bandit and extremist violence.

Nigeria school kidnapping response and rescue efforts

Security forces have launched search operations across forested areas of Niger and neighbouring states, although authorities have released few operational details. Officials say they suspect a criminal gang motivated mainly by ransom, a pattern that has become common in recent Nigeria school kidnapping and village raids as armed groups profit from mass abductions.

Religious leaders in Nigeria have called for national days of prayer and fasting, while urging the government to negotiate carefully so that future attacks are not encouraged. Meanwhile, parents and local residents have gathered near the school, demanding clearer information and faster action as hours turn into days. Rights groups argue that the latest attack again exposes gaps in community-level intelligence, delayed response times and weak regulation of small arms.

Why it matters for Africa

The Nigeria school kidnapping crisis matters for Africa because it highlights how insecurity in one of the continent’s largest economies can ripple across borders. Nigeria anchors West Africa in trade, migration and security cooperation. When armed groups freely abduct hundreds of children, confidence in state protection erodes, cross-border bandit networks gain leverage and regional counter-terrorism plans come under strain. Communities may also lose trust in education itself, especially in rural areas where schools already struggle with limited resources. If families keep children at home out of fear, long-term human capital, labour productivity and civic participation suffer, weakening West Africa’s prospects under AfCFTA.