What first appeared to be a devastating attack on a Catholic school in Niger state has turned out to be even worse than early reports suggested. The Christian Association of Nigeria released an updated figure after spending time at St. Marys School in the Papiri community. The new count shows that 303 students and 12 teachers were taken by armed men. The initial number of 215 students came from chaotic early assessments, but a full verification exercise revealed how many children were missing.

Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who chairs the Niger state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, visited the school to confirm the information himself. His team moved through classrooms and dormitories to piece together the real toll. What this really means is that the community is dealing with one of the largest school abductions in recent years.

How the Attack Unfolded

From what witnesses described, the gunmen struck fast and forced their way into both the primary and secondary sections of the Catholic institution. St. Marys is located in a remote area, and that isolation left the school with limited defenses. Students tried to flee when the attackers advanced, and 88 of them were caught while attempting to escape. These children ranged from 10 to 18 years old, which paints a painful picture of how vulnerable they were in that moment.

Photos released by the Christian Association of Nigeria show the school compound empty and damaged. Dormitory blocks appear ransacked, and the site looks frozen in the aftermath of a terrifying night. These images have circulated widely, and they help the world understand the scale of loss for the families involved.

A Pattern of Attacks Across the Region

This incident did not happen in isolation. Four days earlier, another group of armed men kidnapped 25 schoolchildren from a town called Maga in neighboring Kebbi state. That town sits about 170 kilometers from Papiri. The similarity in tactics has raised questions about whether the same network might be responsible, although no group has stepped forward to claim the attack in either location.

Authorities say they have deployed tactical squads to search the surrounding forests. Local hunters have joined the effort because they know the terrain better than anyone else. People in the region have seen this pattern over the years. Armed groups view schools as strategic targets because the abductions draw attention, create fear, and pressure the government.

Conflicting Claims About School Safety

One point of tension has emerged between the Christian Association of Nigeria and the state government. Officials claimed that the school had reopened even though earlier directives warned schools in that region to close due to security risks. Yohanna said the school never received such a notice. He suggested that the claim from the government might have been an attempt to shift blame away from poor communication.

He urged families to remain calm and prayerful as efforts to rescue the children continue. For many parents, calm feels impossible, but community leaders are trying to keep panic from spreading.

A Larger National Challenge

School kidnappings have become a painful symbol of insecurity in Nigeria. The United Nations Childrens Fund reported last year that only a small fraction of schools in ten conflict-affected states have early warning systems in place. That leaves many campuses exposed when armed groups move through rural areas.

The new wave of abductions is happening at the same time international conversations about religious violence in Nigeria have intensified. Former United States President Donald Trump recently claimed that Christians in Nigeria face targeted killings, and he labeled the country a Country of Particular Concern. The reality on the ground is more complex. Attacks have affected both Christian and Muslim communities, and the kidnapping in Kebbi earlier this week took place in a Muslim-majority town.

What Comes Next

The search for the abducted students and teachers is ongoing. Families are gathering daily at the school site to share information, hold small prayer circles, and wait for updates from security teams. Nigeria has faced similar crises before, but each incident reopens the trauma and raises new questions about how to keep children safe.

Right now, Papiri stands as a community in shock, but also a community that refuses to give up hope.