Ninja gunmen kidnapped at least 227 students and teachers at a Catholic school in Niger state on November 21, according to the Southern Christian Association (CAN). This is the latest mass school attack this week, forcing the government to close 47 colleges.
The incident occurred at St. Mary in Niger is the largest mass kidnapping since the kidnapping of more than 200 students in the northern Kaduna state in March 2024.
Mr. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, Chairman of CAN in Niger, who visited the school, said some students had fled, but did not provide details. "According to our records, 215 students and 12 teachers have been kidnapped by terrorists," he said.
Police and local authorities in the Niger state confirmed the kidnapping, but did not specify the number. The Niger state government said the school had ignored the order to close boarding schools.
Security agencies were present at the scene of the attack on the Catholic school and reviewed nearby forests to try to rescue it.
Other attacks this week include the kidnapping of 25 female students from a boarding school in the state of Kebbi on November 17 and an attack on a church in the state of Kwara, in which a church official told Reuters that 38 followers were taken by gunmen. The churchs officials said the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of 100 million naira (about $69,000) for each convert. The states of Kebbi, Kwara and Niger are bordering each other.
This week's attacks have forced Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu to cancel his trips to South Africa and Angola. Mr. Tinubu is expected to attend the G20 Summit and the African Union - European Union Summit.
Nigeria's security has been closely monitored since US President Donald Trump threatened military action "quickly" if the country did not suppress the murder of Christian members.
Mr. Pete Hegseth, US Secretary of War, wrote on the X platform that he met with the Nigeria National Security Advisor on November 20 to discuss the suppression of Christian members. The Nigeran government believes Trump's statements about persecution of Christian members are distorted.
