Two weeks after one of Nigeria’s largest school abductions, families of more than 250 missing children are desperate for news. The attack at St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school in Papiri, Niger state, saw gunmen seize students as young as six, along with 12 staff members. While 50 pupils managed to escape, the majority remain unaccounted for, leaving parents in anguish and authorities under pressure for a swift response.
Families Voice Anger at Authorities
Parents have criticized what they describe as slow government action. Many report receiving little information beyond assurances from police and national security officials. Sunday Gbazali, whose 14-year-old son remains missing, said sleepless nights and constant worry have taken a toll on his family. Emmanuel Bala, PTA chair, expressed frustration at the lack of updates despite repeated promises of a rescue.
Government Response and Security Measures
President Bola Tinubu has declared a nationwide security emergency, ordering thousands of additional army and police recruits to address rising violence. Niger state authorities conducted a week-late registration of missing children, partly to verify the numbers amid claims they were exaggerated. Police reported 215 students were still in captivity, though some parents had not yet registered their children.
Persistent Cycle of School Abductions
The incident is part of a broader, long-standing pattern of mass kidnappings in Nigeria. Since the 2014 Chibok abductions, criminal gangs have emulated Boko Haram’s tactics, with at least 1,800 students kidnapped in the past decade. Activists from the global “#BringBackOurGirls” campaign condemned the systemic failure to protect students and called for urgent action from the government.
Impact on Education
Ongoing insecurity has severely disrupted education in northern Nigeria. Amnesty International reports that nearly 20,500 schools have closed in seven states following the Papiri attack. Many parents now fear sending children to school, contributing to Nigeria’s high number of out-of-school children estimated at 20 million, mostly in the north. Even children who escaped, like 13-year-old Stephen Samuel, worry about the prospects of returning to school safely.
With information from Reuters.
