Papiri: A father recounted his powerlessness as he watched gunmen on motorbikes abduct his son and dozens of other children from a Catholic boarding school in northern Nigeria. The incident took place in the early hours of Friday at St Marys school in Papiri village, Niger state.

According to BBC, the father, identified as Theo for safety reasons, was awakened by the commotion as the gunmen led the abducted children past his home. The children were forced to walk like herds, with some falling and being kicked by the gunmen to stand up. The attackers, approximately 50 in number, used motorcycles to control the children. Theo, speaking from the dormitory where his son once slept, felt powerless to intervene and called the police, but they arrived too late to prevent the abduction.

The Christian Association of Nigeria reported that 303 students and 12 staff members were seized, while 50 children managed to evade capture and were reunited with their families. Bishop Bulus Bawa Yohanna, who runs the school, provided a list of the abducted to the BBC. However, police only acknowledged a few children escaping that night. Niger state governor Umar Bago disputed the numbers, claiming they were exaggerated and blamed the school for remaining open despite past threats.

Governor Bago insisted the attack was a “scare” and assured that all students would eventually be rescued. Despite this, no security has been deployed to the community post-abduction. Parents, including Theo, have been camping outside the school, expressing anger at the government’s perceived inaction. They feel abandoned, as the governor has not visited the school and only addressed security agencies and local leaders in a nearby community.

The crisis in northern Niger, a hotspot for kidnappings, continues to escalate. Criminal gangs exploit the state’s vast landmass and forests for operations. This abduction marks the third such incident in Nigeria within a week, following similar attacks in Kebbi and Kwara states.

The rise in abductions has led to the closure of many boarding schools across Nigeria, with parents urgently collecting their children. The government faces international pressure, notably from US President Donald Trump, to address the security situation. The Nigerian government maintains that the violence affects all, irrespective of religion, countering claims of Christian persecution.