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In a chilling incident that has shaken the community, more than 300 schoolchildren and a dozen teachers have been kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, located in Nigeria’s north-central Niger state. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) released this update on Saturday, confirming a revised count from an earlier report of 215 abducted children.
The corrected figures emerged following a meticulous verification process and final census conducted by the Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who serves as the chairman of CAN in Niger state. He visited the afflicted school on Friday to assess the situation firsthand.
This kidnapping is part of a disturbing trend, coming just four days after a similar incident in Kebbi state’s Maga town, where 25 schoolchildren were taken. Both communities are separated by a mere 170 kilometers (approximately 106 miles), highlighting the expanding reach of these criminal activities.
As of now, no organization has stepped forward to claim responsibility for the abductions. In response, authorities have mobilized tactical teams and enlisted local hunters in a concerted effort to secure the safe return of the children and their teachers.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the abductions and authorities have said tactical squads have been deployed alongside local hunters to rescue the children.
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