By Frontline Reporters
The Federal Government and several northern states have ordered the closure of selected schools following rising insecurity and fresh mass abductions of pupils. This comes after terrorists attacked St Mary’s School, a Catholic institution in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, abducting 215 students and 12 teachers early Friday morning.
The attack occurred just four days after 26 schoolgirls were kidnapped from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, where the vice principal, Hasan Makuku, was killed and the principal injured. Two girls managed to escape in the aftermath of that raid. President Bola Tinubu subsequently directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to relocate to Kebbi and coordinate rescue efforts.
At St Mary’s School, witnesses said the attackers stormed the premises around 2am on over 100 motorcycles, operating for nearly an hour before escaping with the captives. The Niger Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Most Rev. Bulus Yohanna, confirmed the abduction figures and urged residents to remain calm as security agencies intensify search-and-rescue operations.
The Niger State Police Command said joint police-military teams had been deployed to the area, though the exact number of abducted persons remained under verification. The state government later criticised the school for reopening despite a directive ordering the closure of all boarding schools in the volatile zone.
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Education has ordered the closure of 41 unity schools nationwide over the escalating threat. Kwara, Plateau, Niger, Benue, and Katsina states have also shut selected schools. Katsina’s Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Yusuf Jibia, said protecting students outweighed ongoing examinations.
Benue’s chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers disclosed that about 50 schools across the state—some shut for two years—remain closed due to persistent insecurity. Sokoto and Kebbi authorities have heightened surveillance around schools, insisting that learning will continue under strengthened security arrangements.
Data from the National Safe Schools Financing Plan shows that over 42,000 northern schools lack perimeter fencing, heightening their vulnerability. Kano, Benue, Bauchi, Katsina, Niger, and Jigawa have some of the highest numbers of unfenced schools.
After arriving in Kebbi on Friday, Defence Minister Bello Matawalle held a closed-door meeting with senior security chiefs to review intelligence and accelerate rescue efforts. The Northern States Governors’ Forum condemned the abductions, warning that persistent attacks threaten progress in reducing out-of-school children.
In Niger, the state government criticised St Mary’s School for violating its closure directive, saying the decision exposed children to avoidable danger. The government said investigations and rescue operations were ongoing.
In Kebbi, distressed parents continue to keep vigil and hold prayer sessions as they await news of their abducted daughters. One father recounted losing both his daughter and granddaughter, while others told haunting stories of trauma and loss. A widow also narrated how her husband, a security guard, was shot dead during the Kebbi school raid, while her daughter narrowly escaped.
Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris has demanded explanations for the withdrawal of soldiers from the Maga school shortly before the attack, describing the timing as troubling. Security agencies have been urged to investigate.
The Chairman of the Northern CAN, Rev. John Hayab, said recent attacks show terrorists are driven not by ransom but a desire to inflict pain and fear. Similarly, the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Adewale Martins, urged the government to act swiftly to restore public confidence, describing the rising boldness of terrorists as a grave concern.
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