Local officials confirmed that the raid took place at St. Mary’s School but did not immediately release the number of students taken. Security forces were deployed shortly after the attack and began searching surrounding forests, a common area used by armed groups to hold captives.
Local media reported that more than 50 students may have been abducted, though authorities have not verified the figure.
The incident comes during heightened international scrutiny of Nigeria’s security situation, following recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump threatening potential military action if Nigerian authorities fail to protect Christian communities. Abuja has dismissed claims of widespread religious persecution as inaccurate.
Authorities in Niger State said the school had been instructed to temporarily close due to intelligence warnings of possible attacks, but the directive was not followed.
The kidnapping is one of several violent incidents reported this week in neighboring states. In Kebbi State, 25 girls were seized from a boarding school on Monday, while an attack on a church in Kwara State resulted in the abduction of 38 worshippers. According to church officials, the armed group behind the Kwara attack has demanded a ransom equivalent to roughly $69,000 per hostage.
The surge in violence prompted Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to cancel scheduled trips to South Africa and Angola, where he had been expected to attend major international summits. He instead dispatched a high-level security delegation to Washington to discuss cooperation with U.S. lawmakers and officials.
Armed groups operating across northwestern and central Nigeria have increasingly targeted schools, religious institutions and rural communities, seeking ransom payments or leverage against the government as insecurity continues to deepen.