Some students of St Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Niger State, were among villagers abducted during a deadly attack by suspected terrorists on Saturday evening, residents and officials said.
Gunmen struck communities in Agwara Local Government Area, killing at least 35 people and abducting an unspecified number of residents, including women and children. The attackers hit Kasuwan Daji and Kaima villages, witnesses and security sources said.
Residents said some of the abducted children had only recently returned home after earlier negotiations secured their release from captivity. “They killed 37 people in Kasuwan Daji and another five in Kaima,” one resident said, requesting anonymity for safety reasons. “They took many people, including children and students who were freed not long ago.”
Witnesses said the attackers moved the captives towards Kainji National Park, which security sources say armed groups use as a base for raids in the region.
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The Catholic Church confirmed the attack. Stephen Kabirat, director of communications for the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, said a parish priest narrowly escaped abduction days earlier. “They vandalised religious items, took two motorcycles and more than ₦200,000 in cash. They came looking for the priest, but he escaped,” Kabirat said. “They abducted villagers, including children.”
The violence followed a string of recent attacks in the area. Residents said suspected bandits fleeing military operations in neighbouring Kwara State raided Gebe and Goro communities earlier in the week, killing two people and burning more than 15 houses. About a week earlier, gunmen attacked a checkpoint of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Wawa, Borgu Local Government Area, and seized weapons after personnel withdrew.
Residents accused the attackers of operating camps inside Kainji National Park and crossing from Kebbi State to raid communities. “People have abandoned their homes,” one villager said. “Some families now sleep in the bushes because of the fear.”
The Niger State Police Command confirmed the attacks. Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said officers received reports around 9 p.m. that gunmen had killed more than 30 people, burned a market and abducted several residents. He said a joint security team visited the area and launched rescue efforts.
On Sunday, President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack and ordered security agencies to rescue the captives and arrest those responsible.
