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In a disturbing development in Nigeria, gunmen have abducted numerous students and staff from a Catholic school early on Friday morning, underscoring a rising trend of attacks on Christian institutions.
According to reports from Arise TV, the attack targeted St. Mary’s School, located in the Papiri community within the Agwara local government area. The Associated Press, referencing Abubakar Usman, the secretary to the Niger state government, stated that 52 children were taken during the incident. However, Usman did not provide specific details on how many children were actually kidnapped.
In response to the abduction, the Niger State Police Command confirmed that military and security personnel were promptly dispatched to the scene to manage the situation. They also highlighted that St. Mary’s School caters to students ranging in age from 12 to 17 years old.
Visuals from Nigeria offer a glimpse into the lives of Christians there, such as a drone image capturing worshippers leaving St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church after a Sunday service in Palmgrove, Lagos, taken on November 2, 2025, by Sodiq Adelakun for Reuters.
This latest incident has drawn condemnation from Usman, who criticized the decision to reopen St. Mary’s School despite prior intelligence reports indicating a heightened risk of attacks. This information was shared by Arise TV, highlighting the ongoing security challenges faced by educational institutions in the region.
“Regrettably, St. Mary’s School proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the State Government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk,” the statement read.
The attack at St. Mary’s follows a similar incident earlier this week in which armed attackers kidnapped 25 girls from a boarding school in Nigeria’s Kebbi State and killed at least one staffer. The search for the abducted schoolgirls is still underway.
On Wednesday, gunmen attacked the Christ Apostolic Church, killing at least two people and abducting the pastor and 38 worshippers, according to Reuters. In a video of the attack, which was reviewed and verified by Reuters, armed men are seen entering the church and taking worshippers’ belongings as gunshots ring out. The outlet later reported that a church official said the gunmen demanded a ransom of 100 million naira (roughly $69,000) per worshipper.
Gunmen pick up the belongings left behind by worshipers who ran for cover after hearing gunshots, as they walk into a Church in Eruku, Kwara state, Nigeria, on Nov. 18, 2025, in this picture obtained from social media. (Social media/via Reuters)
Nigeria has seen a series of attacks on Christians, prompting President Donald Trump to declare the West African nation a “country of particular concern” over the persecution of Christians. However, the Nigerian government has disputed the U.S.’s claims.
On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz held an event highlighting the ongoing violence in Nigeria. During the event, Waltz called the killings of Christians in Nigeria “genocide wearing the mask of chaos.”
“Folks, we have an entire faith that is being erased, one bullet at a time, one torched Bible at a time,” Waltz said.
Nicki Minaj is greeted by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz ahead of a panel discussion titled “Combatting Religious Violence and the Killing of Christians in Nigeria” at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York City on Nov. 18, 2025. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
Rap superstar Nicki Minaj, who has been vocal about her support for the Trump administration’s efforts to combat the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, spoke at Waltz’s event. Minaj lamented that “families have been torn apart, and entire communities live in fear constantly, simply because of how they pray.”