Armed men attacked St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger state, early Friday, abducting an unknown number of pupils and staff in the second mass school kidnapping this week.
Local media reported at least 52 children taken, while residents said the raid occurred around 2 a.m. when gunmen stormed the boarding hostels.
The school had reopened despite a state government order to close all boarding facilities following intelligence warnings of heightened threats.
Niger state authorities said St. Mary’s resumed activities without clearance, exposing students to avoidable risk.
The institution, which serves both primary and secondary students aged roughly 6-17, is run by the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora.
One security staff member was seriously wounded by gunfire.
Security forces are searching nearby forests, but no contact has been reported from the abductors.
The incident follows Monday’s abduction of 25 schoolgirls from a boarding school in neighboring Kebbi state; one has escaped while 23 remain missing.
In a separate attack the same day in Kwara state, gunmen killed two people at a church and took 38 worshippers, reportedly demanding 100 million naira per person.
President Bola Tinubu canceled planned foreign travel, including this weekend’s G20 summit in South Africa, to focus on the crisis.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, visiting Kebbi, pledged to use every state instrument to rescue the victims and bring perpetrators to justice.
Criminal gangs known locally as bandits are blamed for most recent kidnappings, often targeting schools and remote communities for ransom.
Nigeria continues to face overlapping security challenges, including extremist insurgency in the northeast and resource-driven clashes in central regions.