Overview
- Christian Association of Nigeria says 303 students and 12 teachers were seized from St. Mary School in Papiri, with 50 students now back home after individual escapes.
- An estimated 253 students and 12 teachers remain in captivity after the pre-dawn raid by armed men; no group has claimed responsibility.
- Police, soldiers and local trackers have been deployed to search nearby forests, and federal authorities ordered closures of several boarding and unity schools in high‑risk areas.
- Niger state officials allege the school reopened despite security warnings, a claim disputed by church leaders who say no official directive was received.
- The attack followed a separate abduction of about 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi state this week, while Pope Leo XIV urged the immediate release of the hostages.