Over 300 students were abducted by Nigerian gunmen from Catholic school

No radical has yet claimed work for this oregon a erstwhile abduction, arsenic authorities deploy tactical squads alongside section hunters to rescue the children.

A full of 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers person been abducted by gunmen during Friday’s onslaught connected St Mary’s Catholic School successful north-central Nigeria’s Niger State, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has said, arsenic information fears accelerate successful Africa’s astir populous nation.

The update from an earlier tally of 215 schoolchildren was announced connected Saturday and was changed “after a verification workout and a last census was carried out”, according to a connection issued by the Most Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, president of the Niger State section of CAN, who visited the schoolhouse connected Friday.

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The onslaught comes conscionable days aft equipped men stormed a secondary school successful northwestern Nigeria, abducting 25 schoolgirls successful akin circumstances successful neighbouring Kebbi State’s Maga town, which is 170km (106 miles) away, aboriginal connected Monday morning. One miss aboriginal escaped, and 24 are inactive missing.

Police officers basal defender extracurricular the schoolhouse wherever children were kidnapped by gunmen successful Kebbi, Nigeria, connected Monday, November 17, 2025 [Deeni Jibo/AP]

No radical has yet claimed work for the 2 abductions, and authorities person said tactical squads person been deployed alongside section hunters to rescue the children.

St Mary’s is classified arsenic a secondary school, but outer images amusement the compound linked to an adjacent superior schoolhouse with much than 50 buildings, including classrooms and dormitories. The analyzable lies successful Papiri town, adjacent to a large roadworthy connecting the towns of Yelwa and Mokwa.

Residents described scenes of panic arsenic families searched for their missing children.

Dauda Chekula, 62, said 4 of his grandchildren, aged 7 to 10, were taken.

“We don’t cognize what is happening now, due to the fact that we person not heard thing since this morning,” helium told The Associated Press quality agency. “The children who were capable to flight person scattered … and the lone accusation we are getting is that the attackers are inactive moving with the remaining children into the bush.”

A connection from the caput to the Niger State authorities connected Friday said that authorities had earlier received quality informing of accrued threats successful the area. It said the schoolhouse reopened “without notifying oregon seeking clearance from the State Government, thereby exposing pupils and the unit to avoidable risk”.

President Bola Tinubu cancelled his planned travel to the G20 acme successful South Africa pursuing the abductions. Vice President Kashim Shettima volition be successful his place, the presidency said connected X.

The schoolhouse kidnappings and an attack connected a religion earlier this week travel weeks aft United States President Donald Trump threatened subject enactment implicit what helium described arsenic targeted killings of Nigeria’s Christians, a communicative rejected by the Nigerian government, which says Muslims are the bulk victims of attacks by equipped groups.

Trump’s assertions echo claims that person gained traction among right-wing and Christian evangelical circles successful caller months.