Gunmen Abduct More Than 200 Schoolchildren and 12 Teachers in Attack on Nigerian Catholic School

In this photo released by Christian Association of Nigeria, a man walk past belongings at the St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School after gunmen abducted children and staff in Papiri community, Nigeria, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. Christian Association of Nigeria via APABUJA, Nigeria—Gunmen attacked a Catholic boarding school in a western region of Nigeria and abducted more than 200 schoolchildren Friday, the Christian Association of Nigeria said, in the latest in a spate of abductions in Africa’s most populous country.The attack and abductions took place at St. Mary’s School, a Catholic institution in the Agwara local government’s Papiri community. Attackers seized 215 pupils and students as well as 12 teachers, said Daniel Atori, a spokesperson for the Niger state chapter of CAN.