The Chairman of CAN in Niger State says 215 students and teachers were abducted in a gunmen attack on a Catholic school, far higher than earlier estimates, as insecurity forces widespread school closures across Nigeria.
The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, Bulus Yohanna, has said that 215 students and teachers were abducted when armed men attacked St Mary’s Catholic Secondary School early Friday, a figure much higher than initial reports that over 50 students were taken.
“From our record, 215 pupils and students including 12 teachers were abducted by the terrorists,” Mr Yohanna said in a statement quoted by Reuters, after visiting the school.
While the police confirmed the 2 a.m. attack, spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said only that gunmen “abducted a yet to be ascertained number of students,” noting that security teams were combing nearby forests.
The mass kidnapping follows a series of violent incidents, including the abduction of 24 students in Kebbi State and an attack on worshippers in Kwara, prompting President Bola Tinubu to cancel his planned trip to South Africa for security briefings.
With attacks surging, hundreds of schools have been shut nationwide, including 47 federal unity colleges and all primary and secondary schools in Katsina and Plateau states.