The number of victims abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, in the Agwarra Local Government Area of Niger State has risen to 315, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). The figure represents a sharp increase from the 227 earlier reported.

The Chairman of CAN in Niger State and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, gave the update after a verification exercise and final census were concluded. A breakdown of the new data shows that 303 students and 12 teachers were abducted.

Most Rev. Yohanna said, “After we left the school at Papiri, we decided to make calls, do a verification exercise, and do further enquiries on those we had thought escaped successfully, only to discover that 88 more students were also captured after they tried to escape. Our attention was drawn to this when some parents whose children we had thought escaped also came asking about their children. We became curious, and that was when we did a census and discovered that they were abducted.”

He explained that the school had 629 pupils and students before the incident—430 in the primary section and 199 in the secondary section.

Most Rev. Yohanna also addressed widespread claims that the school had received prior warnings from security agencies. He denied the rumour, saying, “That is not true. We did not receive any circular; it must be an afterthought and a way to shift blame. In the past, around 2022, when we heard rumours of a security challenge, we shut down immediately. Is it when there is a circular from the government asking us to shut down that we will now not obey?”

He clarified that the school is owned by the Catholic Diocese, not by individuals as some reports had suggested. He said allegations that Reverend Sisters had travelled to Abuja and ignored warnings were false. “We have asked the Education Secretary if he received a circular; he said no. We also asked the National Association of Private Schools, and they did not get any such circular,” he added.

He appealed for calm and assured families that efforts were underway to secure the safe release of all abductees. “We will continue to actively collaborate with security operatives, community leaders, government, and relevant authorities for the safe and quick return of all abductees,” he said.

The attack occurred in the early hours of Friday. Sources said the gunmen arrived in large numbers, riding on more than 60 motorcycles and accompanied by a van. The school’s gatekeeper was shot and seriously injured.

One source in Agwarra said the number of abducted students was initially unclear. Another source described the incident as “deeply tragic”, noting that both students and teachers were taken. “This is an extremely distressing moment for families, communities, and Niger State as a whole. These are innocent young students and dedicated educators whose lives and futures are now at risk,” the source said.

In response to rising insecurity, the Federal Government has ordered the immediate closure of 41 Federal Unity Colleges. The directive was issued through a circular dated 21 November 2025 from the Federal Ministry of Education, which cited “recent security challenges” and the need to prevent further breaches. Principals of all affected schools were instructed to comply without delay.