12/05/2025

 

Samuel Clifford

 

Nigeria is a vast West African country with a diverse geography that ranges from coastal swamps and rainforests in the south to savannahs and semi-desert in the north. Northern Nigeria, the largest region, covers over two-thirds of the country’s landmass, stretching from the Sahel to the Jos Plateau, and is characterized by arid plains, savannah, and desert fringes.

 

Northern Nigeria is facing a severe crisis, however, when it comes to security and education. The northern region of the country bears a disproportionate burden compared to the rest of the country in those areas. Recently, on November 21, 2025, armed men stormed the grounds of St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school in Papiri, a remote hamlet in Niger State, northern Nigeria. A remote hamlet is a very small settlement — smaller than a village — that is located far away from major towns, cities, or transportation routes. In rural Nigeria, especially in northern states, boarding schools are often built to serve multiple surrounding villages and hamlets, not just the immediate settlement. Children travel or live on campus because their home communities are too far from reliable schools. The armed men who stormed this boarding school kidnapped more than 300 students and staff in one of the worst mass kidnappings since Boko Haram seized 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in 2014. Some of the children taken were as young as five or six years old. About 50 children managed to escape in the immediate aftermath, but more than 250 remain missing. The school had only unarmed volunteer guards, who fled as the attackers arrived, leaving the community defenseless.

 

The abduction caused shock across Nigeria and drew international attention. Security forces announced that rescue efforts were underway. Currently the identities of the kidnappers remain unknown. Authorities believe the kidnappers are hiding in dense forests, but no ransom has yet been demanded. President Bola Tinubu declared a nationwide security emergency, ordering the recruitment of thousands of additional army and police personnel. National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu assured Catholic leaders that “the children are doing fine and will be back soon,” though families have received no further updates. Administrative confusion deepened the crisis, with parents asked to register their children days after the abduction, and state officials disputing the reported numbers.

 

For families, the assurances have brought little comfort. Parents like Sunday Gbazali, a farmer whose 14-year-old son was taken, describe sleepless nights and constant worry. “I used to hear about abductions in the news, but I never knew the pain until it happened to me,” he said, his voice cracking. His wife cries constantly, unable to sleep. Emmanuel Bala, chair of the school’s parent-teacher association, whose daughter is among the missing, said the past two weeks have been “unbearable.” Many parents fear reprisals if they speak out, believing kidnappers have informants within their communities. Some describe the ordeal as “deeply sad” and “not something people can imagine,” while others express fading hope after meetings with government officials yielded no progress.

 

The Papiri attack is part of a broader wave of mass abductions across both northern and central Nigeria. Criminal gangs often composed of Fulani herders living in cattle camps deep in the bush, have turned kidnapping into a lucrative business. Some abductions are blamed on jihadist groups such as ISWAP, which recently seized 12 teenage girls in Borno State before they were rescued. Analysts note that kidnappings are driven more by profit than ideology, with gangs exploiting remote schools and vulnerable communities. In some areas, communities have struck peace deals with bandits in exchange for access to resources like gold mines, water, and grazing rights. While these agreements have reduced attacks in places like Katsina State, they have also shifted insecurity southward, where families are wealthier and more able to pay ransoms.

 

Since the Chibok abduction in 2014, Nigeria has faced a relentless cycle of kidnappings. Over 1,800 students have been abducted in at least a dozen mass raids, according to tallies. Some victims are never rescued. The Papiri incident follows other recent attacks, including the abduction of 25 girls from a school in Maga, Kebbi State, and the seizure of 12 girls in Borno. Amnesty International reported that nearly 20,500 schools have closed across seven northern states following the St. Mary’s attack, worsening Nigeria’s crisis of 20 million children already out of school. Survivors describe lasting trauma, with children questioning whether school has ended altogether.

 

The abduction at Papiri underscores Nigeria’s deepening security crisis and the fragility of education in the north. Parents remain trapped in fear, frustration, and uncertainty, while communities grapple with the possibility of living alongside armed groups. Many analysts warn that without comprehensive reforms—combining military force with negotiated amnesty—Nigeria risks losing an entire generation to trauma and disrupted schooling. For now, families pray for the safe return of their children, even as the nation confronts the grim reality of an endless cycle of kidnappings that shows no sign of abating.

 

Sources:

 

BBC News. “Nigeria School Kidnapping: Parents Fear Reprisals as 250 Children Remain Missing.” BBC News, 4 Dec. 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g6we59qe4o.amp.

 

Africanews. “Nigeria School Kidnapping: 250 Children Still Held Two Weeks On.” Africanews, 5 Dec. 2025, https://www.africanews.com/amp/2025/12/05/nigeria-school-kidnapping-250-children-still-held-two-weeks-on/.