Over 300 Students and Staff Abducted from Catholic School in Nigeria

Gunmen abducted more than 300 people, mostly children, in a brazen attack on a Catholic school in central Nigeria early Friday, adding to a deepening security crisis in the nation. The assault occurred at St. Laurence's Catholic School in the town of Gidan-Mangoro, located in Niger state, a region that has become a hotspot for violent criminal gangs.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) confirmed the toll, stating that the attackers kidnapped 301 students and 14 staff members. According to eyewitnesses, a large group of armed assailants on motorcycles stormed the school premises in the morning, overwhelming the local security guards before rounding up students and teachers and forcing them into the nearby forests. The precision of the attack has drawn widespread condemnation and highlighted the vulnerability of educational institutions in the country.

This incident is the latest in a worrying pattern of mass kidnappings targeting schools across northern and central Nigeria. Armed groups, locally referred to as bandits, have repeatedly targeted students for ransom, turning abductions into a lucrative criminal enterprise. These attacks have disrupted the education of thousands of children and have led to the closure of numerous schools. While the primary motive appears to be financial, the targeting of Christians adds a complex layer to the ongoing crisis, raising fears of religious-based violence in a nation with a delicate balance between its Muslim-majority north and largely Christian south.

In response, Nigerian security forces have mobilized a large-scale rescue operation. A spokesperson for the Niger state police confirmed that authorities have launched a joint effort involving the army and police to track the kidnappers and secure the safe release of the victims. President Bola Tinubu's administration is under increasing pressure to address the rampant insecurity. No group has officially claimed responsibility for the abduction, but the methods used are consistent with those of bandit gangs active in the region.