Escalating Security Crisis

Gunmen abducted 215 pupils and 12 teachers from St. Mary’s School, a Catholic institution in Nigeria's Niger State, in the early hours of Friday, 22 November 2025. This marks the second mass school kidnapping in Africa's most populous nation in a single week, signalling a grave escalation in the security crisis gripping the country's northwest and central regions. The attack occurred in the Papiri community of the Agwara local government area, according to a statement from the Niger State government secretary, Abubakar Usman.

This incident follows the abduction of 25 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in neighbouring Kebbi State on Monday, 18 November 2025. In that attack, the school's vice-principal was killed. The rapid succession of these large-scale attacks has prompted widespread fear and led authorities in several northern states to order the closure of schools as a precautionary measure.

Details of the Niger State Attack

The assailants stormed St. Mary’s School between 1:00 AM and 3:00 AM EAT, according to the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora. A security guard at the school was reportedly shot and badly wounded during the raid. The Niger State Police Command confirmed the deployment of military and tactical units to comb the surrounding forests in a search-and-rescue operation. Dauda Chekula, a 62-year-old grandparent, told the Associated Press that four of his grandchildren, aged seven to ten, were among those taken. "The children who were able to escape have scattered... the only information we are getting is that the attackers are still moving with the remaining children into the bush," he said.

The Niger State government noted that the abduction occurred despite prior intelligence warnings of heightened threats in the area. Secretary Abubakar Usman stated that the government had directed boarding schools in the zone to close temporarily. “Regrettably, St. Mary's School proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the State Government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk,” Usman’s statement read.

A Nation's Struggle with Banditry

While no group has officially claimed responsibility, the attack bears the hallmarks of the heavily armed criminal gangs, locally known as "bandits," that have terrorised northern Nigeria for years. These groups, distinct from jihadist insurgents like Boko Haram, primarily engage in mass kidnappings for ransom, cattle rustling, and village raids. According to a 2024 report, over 1,680 students were kidnapped from Nigerian schools between 2014 and 2022. The crisis has had a devastating impact on education, with a UNICEF report noting that attacks on schools are a major barrier to learning in the country. As of September 2025, 589 schools were reported closed due to insecurity.

International bodies have voiced strong condemnation. UNICEF issued a statement following the Kebbi State abduction, urging that "classrooms must remain places of safety, not fear." The African Union has also previously condemned such acts as a grave threat to regional stability. In response to the escalating crisis, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu cancelled his planned attendance at the G20 summit in South Africa to personally oversee the security situation.

Implications for Kenya and East Africa

Nigeria's struggle with large-scale, organised banditry offers a sobering case study for Kenya and its neighbours. While East Africa's primary security threats have historically stemmed from ideologically driven terror groups like Al-Shabaab, the Nigerian model of kidnapping-for-ransom presents a dangerous and lucrative criminal enterprise that could be replicated. The targeting of "soft targets" like schools in remote, under-policed areas is a tactic that transcends borders.

Kenyan security analysts are watching the situation closely, noting the parallels in the vulnerability of rural communities and the challenges of securing vast territories. The crisis underscores the critical need for robust intelligence sharing, community-based security arrangements, and rapid response capabilities to protect educational institutions. The failure of the Nigerian state to contain this form of criminality serves as a stark warning of how quickly such threats can overwhelm national security apparatuses, cripple sectors like education, and destabilise entire regions.