Gunmen abduct 227 students, teachers from catholic school in Nigeria
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) announced on Friday that at least 227 students and teachers were kidnapped from a Catholic school in northwestern Nigeria.
In an official statement, the association said that more than 200 students and 12 teachers were abducted during an armed attack on St. Mary’s Catholic School.
Daniel Atori, spokesperson for the CAN, said that gunmen stormed St. Mary’s School in Agwara local government’s Papiri community, kidnapping 215 pupils and students along with 12 teachers.
“I just got back to the village tonight after I visited the school where I also met with parents,” said Atori in a statement, adding the association is working “to ensure our children’s safe return.”
For its part, the Niger State Police Command confirmed that the abduction occurred in the early morning hours, noting that military and security forces have since been deployed in the community.
Authorities stated that St. Mary’s School is a secondary school that serves children aged 12 to 17.
For its part, the Amnesty International criticized Nigerian authorities for failing to keep children safe in northern states, saying that the new kidnappings show the government is still unable to stop repeated attacks on schools, which have already forced hundreds of them to shut down and disrupted the education of thousands of children across states such as Katsina and Plateau.
Reporting by Abdulsalam Khoja