Nigeria is reeling after another mass school abduction in a week, with 215 children taken from a Catholic school in central Niger state. The latest kidnapping, which occurred on Friday morning, follows a similar incident just a week ago when gunmen stormed a girls' boarding school in Kebbi state and abducted 25 schoolgirls.
The latest attack on St Mary's School in Agwara local government area has sparked widespread condemnation, with the state government describing it as "disturbing news". The Niger State Police Command has deployed military and security forces to the community, while the state government secretary Abubakar Usman said that his administration is "deeply saddened" by the incident.
The attack on the school has highlighted the ongoing insecurity crisis in Nigeria, with multiple overlapping crises across the country's central and northern states. Kidnapping for ransom has become a significant problem, with gangs often targeting schools, travelers, and remote villagers.
Analysts believe that the kidnappings are driven by gangs of former herders who have taken up arms against farming communities over strained resources. However, no group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack, which raises fears about the motivations behind such incidents.
The incident comes at a time when Nigeria is under pressure from the US government to address its human rights record, particularly with regards to religious freedoms. The Trump administration has classified Nigeria as a country of particular concern (CPC), and there are concerns that the scale and frequency of the attacks could escalate diplomatic tensions.
Nigeria's president Bola Tinubu has announced plans to cancel several international trips in response to the crisis, while the state governor of Kebbi has pledged to do everything possible to rescue those abducted. The fate of the 215 children taken from St Mary's School remains unknown, with their families and authorities scrambling to respond to the latest development in a rapidly unfolding crisis.
The latest attack on St Mary's School in Agwara local government area has sparked widespread condemnation, with the state government describing it as "disturbing news". The Niger State Police Command has deployed military and security forces to the community, while the state government secretary Abubakar Usman said that his administration is "deeply saddened" by the incident.
The attack on the school has highlighted the ongoing insecurity crisis in Nigeria, with multiple overlapping crises across the country's central and northern states. Kidnapping for ransom has become a significant problem, with gangs often targeting schools, travelers, and remote villagers.
Analysts believe that the kidnappings are driven by gangs of former herders who have taken up arms against farming communities over strained resources. However, no group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack, which raises fears about the motivations behind such incidents.
The incident comes at a time when Nigeria is under pressure from the US government to address its human rights record, particularly with regards to religious freedoms. The Trump administration has classified Nigeria as a country of particular concern (CPC), and there are concerns that the scale and frequency of the attacks could escalate diplomatic tensions.
Nigeria's president Bola Tinubu has announced plans to cancel several international trips in response to the crisis, while the state governor of Kebbi has pledged to do everything possible to rescue those abducted. The fate of the 215 children taken from St Mary's School remains unknown, with their families and authorities scrambling to respond to the latest development in a rapidly unfolding crisis.
Another mass school abduction in Nigeria, what's going on? 
215 kids taken from a Catholic school, this is just too much! 
We need to talk about why these kidnappings keep happening and how we can help get the ones back safely 
this is just getting outta hand what's goin on in Nigeria rn? 
215 kids taken from school like it's nobodies business 
the government needs to do more than just make empty promises, they need to take concrete action 
and I'm tired of all these international trips gettin cancelled when the people who actually matter - the victims' families - are still waitin for answers 
we need to come together as a community to support them 
can't believe this is happening again in Nigeria 
how many more times can Nigeria take this before someone does something? 
I mean, canceling trips because some American told them to is not gonna solve anything 
they need some real leadership that can take care of its own citizens... this stuff needs to stop ASAP 
The Nigerian government needs to step up their game and do something about these gangs that are terrorizing schools and communities. And can we talk about the US pressure for a second? Like, I get it, human rights and all that, but come on, this is Nigeria we're talking about, not some country in Europe or Asia... they need to take care of their own problems first before we start lecturing them on how to run things. 
the security crisis there is like a never-ending nightmare 
215 kids taken from school? that's just not right 
The US government's classification of Nigeria as a country of concern is bad enough, but it feels like we're being played by all sides here... 
can we please get to a point where these kidnappings become a thing of the past?! 
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. what's next, another school, another town? this cycle is getting out of control 
. Can't believe this is happening for the fifth time this year 
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this is getting out of hand 
This devastating school abduction is just another heart-wrenching chapter in Nigeria's ongoing struggle with insecurity 
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215 kids taken... and no one's sure if they'll ever be seen again. That's what happens when you're just a number, not a name or a future 
. I'm worried about the 215 schoolgirls taken from St Mary's School too - my heart goes out to their families