The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State has confirmed that at least 227 pupils, students and teachers were abducted when armed bandits invaded St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area, in the early hours of Friday.

The attack, which occurred between 2am and 3am, threw the quiet riverside community into panic as the gunmen reportedly moved from hostel to hostel, herding their victims into waiting boats.

Although initial reports gave conflicting figures, Daniel Atori, media aide to the CAN chairman in the state, Bulus Yohanna, said the association’s records show that 215 pupils and students and 12 teachers were taken away.

“I have just returned to the village after visiting the school and meeting with parents of the abducted children to assure them that we are working with government and security agencies for their safe return,” Yohanna said in a statement.

According to him, some students escaped during the attack, while anxious parents trooped to the school throughout the day to take home their children as the management ordered an immediate shutdown of academic activities.

He appealed for calm, saying security agencies, community leaders and government officials are “actively collaborating” to secure the release of all the abductees.

Meanwhile, the Niger State Government revealed that the school had reopened without official clearance, despite a directive ordering the temporary closure of all boarding schools in vulnerable areas following recent security threats.

The latest abduction comes barely days after 25 female students of Government Girls Secondary School, Maga in Kebbi State, were kidnapped in a similar overnight raid.