Mass Kidnapping at Nigerian Boarding School
In a devastating escalation of violence targeting educational institutions, more than 300 schoolchildren were abducted by gunmen from a Catholic boarding school in western Nigeria. The attack on St Mary's School in Agwara, Niger state, occurred in the early hours of Friday, 21st November 2025, marking the second such mass kidnapping to rock the country within a single week.
The initial reports indicated 215 students were taken, but the figure was revised significantly upwards following a verification exercise. The Most Rev Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of the Niger state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), confirmed the higher number after visiting the school. He detailed that an additional 88 children were captured after they attempted to flee during the assault.
Details of the Attack and Aftermath
The assailants targeted girls and boys aged between 10 and 18 years old, and also seized 12 teachers from the school premises, which boasts more than 50 classrooms and dormitory buildings. A security staff member was badly shot during the early-morning raid, according to the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora.
Distraught family members recounted the chaos. Dauda Chekula, 62, revealed that four of his grandchildren, aged just seven to 10, were among those taken. He shared accounts from children who managed to escape, stating, "The children who were able to escape have scattered... the only information we are getting is that the attackers are still moving with the remaining children into the bush."
Daniel Atori, a CAN spokesperson, met with the parents of the abducted children to assure them that the association is collaborating with the government and security agencies to secure the safe return of all those taken.
A Disturbing Pattern of Violence
This horrific incident follows another school attack just days earlier. On Monday, 17th November, 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in the town of Maga, located in the neighbouring Kebbi state. In that attack, armed men on motorcycles stormed the boarding school around 4am local time. One 15-year-old student from that abduction managed to escape and found refuge at a teacher's house.
Separately, on the same Monday, gunmen attacked a church in Kwara state, killing at least two people and kidnapping 38 worshippers. The kidnappers have since issued a ransom demand of 100 million naira (£52,660) for each person.
Analysts note that while no group has claimed responsibility for this week's school attacks, criminal gangs frequently target schools for kidnappings, with ransoms as the primary motive. This region has seen a deeply troubling trend, with at least 1,500 students abducted since the infamous Boko Haram kidnapping of 276 Chibok schoolgirls over a decade ago. The situation is so dire that 47 of Nigeria's elite federal unity colleges, mostly in northern states, have been shut down as a precaution.
Amid the crisis, Rev Yohanna denied a claim from the state government that they had received a prior intelligence warning, calling it "an afterthought and a way to shift blame" and urging families to remain calm and prayerful as efforts to rescue the children continue.
