The Niger State Government says the abduction of pupils from St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area, is “deeply saddening and avoidable.”
The Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Usman, stated this in a statement on Friday.
Usman, said the exact number of abducted children had yet to be determined, as security agencies are still conducting assessments and gathering verified information.
He disclosed that the government had previously received credible intelligence pointing to heightened security threats across parts of the Niger North Senatorial District.
Based on the alert, he said government ordered the suspension of construction activities and the temporary closure of boarding schools in the high-risk areas.
However, St. Mary’s—a private Catholic school—reportedly reopened and resumed academic activities without notifying or securing approval from the government, he said.
The SSG said the violation exposed pupils and teachers to grave danger.
The state government said security agencies had launched a full-scale investigation alongside intensified search-and-rescue operations to ensure the safe return of the abducted pupils.
It urged school owners, community leaders and stakeholders to strictly comply with security directives, stressing that safeguarding lives—particularly those of children—remains the administration’s foremost priority.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
