Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly condemned the abduction of students and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, describing the incident as “truly heartbreaking” and urging the government to take decisive action.
Atiku, reacting on Friday to reports of the attack, expressed deep concern over the continued targeting of schools in northern communities. He questioned how many more lives must be disrupted before authorities implement stronger measures to tackle rising insecurity.
He stressed that the Federal Government must urgently declare a state of emergency on insecurity, insisting that Nigeria can no longer afford to treat the situation with levity.
According to the former vice president, the abductions highlight a disturbing pattern of attacks on educational institutions, which he said pose a serious threat to the country’s future. He urged the government to mobilize all resources necessary to rescue the victims and protect vulnerable communities from further attacks.
The attack on St. Mary’s Catholic School occurred between 2 am and 3 am on Friday, when armed men stormed the school premises and abducted an unconfirmed number of students and staff. Residents of Papiri were left in fear as news of the invasion spread. Church officials in Niger State confirmed the abduction but said efforts were still ongoing to ascertain the exact number of missing persons.
Security agencies, including police and military personnel, have since been deployed to the community in a coordinated operation aimed at rescuing those kidnapped. Authorities say search missions have been intensified across the surrounding forests and border routes frequently used by criminal gangs.
The Niger State Government has stated that the school had been operating despite an earlier directive ordering its closure due to security concerns in the area. Officials insist that this decision may have exposed students and staff to avoidable dangers.
The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora condemned the incident and called on authorities to act swiftly to ensure the safe return of the abducted victims. The Diocese described the attack as an assault on the rights of children to education and safety.
This latest incident comes just days after another abduction in Maga, Kebbi State, where gunmen seized 25 female students from a boarding school. The back-to-back attacks have intensified anxiety across the North, where many communities remain vulnerable to banditry and insurgency.
Education stakeholders and security analysts have renewed calls for fortified school security, improved intelligence gathering, and a comprehensive national strategy to address the escalating threat to students.
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