50 Children Escape, but 253 Still Held in Nigeria’s Largest School Abduction Since Chibok
Hundreds remain missing in Nigeria’s largest school kidnapping, highlighting both a human tragedy and a challenge to state authority under President Tinubu
By M. Kiara, Mike Odeh James and Ekani Olikita
(Abuja) The deadly JNIM insurgency, (Jama’t Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin) based in nearby Benin Republic is the group behind the spectacular mass kidnapping in Niger State’s St. Mary’s School, TruthNigeria has learned. The school is situated on Papiri, a town on the northern shore of Lake Kainji just a short distance to the border with the Benin Republic. JNIM has an active presence in the park and uses the park’s vast terrain as a base and sanctuary, according to Nigerian Army officers speaking to TruthNigeria on background. The insurgency is the Sahel affiliate of al-Qaeda and the most active armed group in the Sahel, according to conflict monitor ACLED. JNIM attacks in nearby Mali have claimed more than 450 deaths. Military investigators also are looking at other possible suspects.
Fifty children abducted from a Catholic boarding school in northern Nigeria have escaped and returned home, but 253 students and staff remain missing, according to new figures released by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
The figures confirm St. Mary’s Catholic School assault is Nigeria’s largest school kidnapping since Boko Haram seized276 girls in Chibok in 2014, an attack that drew global outrage and birthed the #BringBackOurGirls movement.
CAN Confirms Updated Numbers
Daniel Atori, media aide to CAN Chairman in Niger State, Most Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, said the updated figures emerged after a fresh verification with parents from several villages.
“We have received some good news as fifty pupils escaped and reunited with their parents,” Atori said. “They escaped between Friday and Saturday and went home, which is why they were initially unaccounted for”.
According to CAN’s updated breakdown:
- 50 pupils escaped
- 141 primary pupils were not abducted
- 253 people remain in captivity, including:
- 236 pupils
- 14 secondary School students
- 12 staff members
- 3 children belonging to staff
Bishop Yohanna urged families to “remain calm and prayerful,” saying the church is working with security forces for a safe return of those still held.
A Pre-Dawn Raid in a Remote Border Region
The attack occurred between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Friday when terrorists on more than 60 motorcycles stormed the School in Papiri, a remote border district between Niger State and Benin Republic.
The attackers shot the gatekeeper and swept through multiple dormitories in darkness.
Papiri’s dense forests and poor road access have long made it a transit route for armed groups operating with minimal resistance.
“This region has become a safe corridor for terrorist movements,” a local security official told TruthNigeria. “They know response time from authorities is slow or nonexistent.”
The Largest School Abduction in Over a Decade
The scale, coordination, and nearly total takeover of the school signal a disturbing escalation. The Chibok attack took 276 girls; this assault involved 315 victims.
“The terrorists appear emboldened and increasingly coordinated,” said Emmanuel Bagna Umar, former Niger State Commissioner for Internal Security.
“Recurring school attacks now seem like a strategic ploy to use children as human shields.”
Strategic Intent: A Political Message
Security analysts say the Papiri attack may also have a political motive.
“This operation was meant to embarrass the government and demonstrate that armed groups can strike at will,” a senior security analyst said. “The message is that the state is losing control.”
The spike in attacks is stark. Over the past week alone:
On Monday, armed men stormed a school in northwest Kebbi state and seized 25 students. It was the first mass school kidnapping since the March 2024 abduction of over 200 students in northern Kaduna.
On Tuesday, gunmen attacked the Christ Apostolic Church in central Kwara state during a service, killing five people and abducting over 38 worshippers.
On Friday, gunmen kidnapped over 300 students and staff from St. Mary’s Catholic school in Niger state.
“This is the opportunity for the new service chiefs to show their worth,” former Major in the Nigerian Army, Gabriel Ad’Ofikwu told TruthNigeria. “Go full blast, deal decisively with them. Deal decisively with their sympathizers, deal decisively with their sponsors,” he said.
Church Leader Rejects Claims School Was Warned
Bishop Yohanna strongly denied reports that the school ignored government instructions to close ahead of the attack.
“We have asked the Education Secretary if he received a circular, he said no; or if he was asked to send any to us, he said no. We asked if he was verbally informed, and he also said no. Let them tell the world who they gave the circular to, or through what channel they sent it.
Nigeria Shuts 47 Federal Schools
In response to the worsening attacks, Nigeria’s Ministry of Education ordered the immediate closure of 47 federal schools across the North-West, North-Central, and parts of the North-East.
The directive was issued on November 21 and school heads were instructed to shut down operations “without delay.”
Security experts say the closure is an admission that authorities can no longer guarantee safety in parts of the country.
Amnesty International: Nigeria Is ‘Failing Children in a Horrifying Manner’
International Human Rights Organization: Amnesty International has condemned the escalating crisis, noting that the latest kidnappings show Nigeria has “failed to learn any lessons.”
“School children in some parts of northern Nigeria are constantly at risk of death or abduction,” said Isa Sanusi, Amnesty’s Nigeria Director.
“Hundreds of schools have closed, attendance has plummeted, and some families push early marriages to protect girls from abduction.”
The Organization warned the attacks have long-term social consequences and called on Nigeria to treat such acts as war crimes and prosecute perpetrators.
Why Niger Remains a Hotspot for Mass School Abductions
According to David Onyilokwu Idah, the abduction in Papiri reflects a deepening security breakdown across the northwest and central Nigeria, driven by structural weaknesses that armed groups continue to exploit.
Terrorist Convergence
“Threat advisories are not enough,” according to Idah, “What protects children is actual presence on the ground. Unimplemented security alerts leave communities dangerously exposed.”
M. Kiara, Mike Odeh James and Ekani Olikita are conflict reporters for TruthNigeria.
