Overview
- Citing the Kontagora diocese, the Association of Christians of Nigeria now reports 315 abducted from St. Mary in Papiri, Niger State, including 303 students and 12 teachers after a verification and final headcount.
- Gunmen hit the boarding compound between roughly 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., targeting dormitories; a security guard was reported shot dead during the raid.
- Police tactical units and military elements are combing nearby forests to locate the captives, and President Bola Tinubu has placed security forces on maximum alert and canceled international travel.
- The federal Education Ministry shut 47 government-run boarding secondary schools and officials in Niger, Katsina, and Plateau ordered additional closures as a precaution.
- No group has claimed responsibility and authorities have not confirmed whether the assailants are bandit gangs or jihadists; the attack followed Monday’s abduction of 25 girls in Kebbi and drew a Vatican appeal for the hostages’ immediate release.