Two months on, academic activities are yet to resume in Papiri, Niger State, as St. Mary’s Catholic School remains shut, with classrooms locked and deserted.
This is as the school’s 230 students and teachers continue to struggle with the psychological trauma following their abduction, an incident that deeply shook the community.
The attack, which occurred on November 21, 2025, dealt a severe blow to Papiri, while the recent Kasuwan Daji massacre has further heightened fear and insecurity among residents.
On that day, armed men stormed the school in broad daylight and abducted both students and teachers, sending shockwaves across the state and beyond.
Following high-level interventions by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the abductees were eventually freed and reunited with their families. The first batch of 100 victims was released on December 8, 2025, while the remaining 130 regained their freedom on December 22, 2025, before being handed over to Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar
Findings revealed a grim security situation in the area, marked by the absence of a military base and a poorly equipped police force. The police reportedly lack adequate personnel, operational vehicles, and sufficient firearms, leaving them ill-prepared to confront the bandits overrunning the communities.
This dangerous security vacuum has emboldened criminal elements, allowing bandits to operate with little resistance. The situation is further worsened by a convoluted military chain of command—an administrative legacy from when the area was part of Kwara State—which is said to slow down and weaken rapid response to attacks.
Investigations also showed that the absence of military formations in Agwara Local Government Area and Borgu Local Government Area, north of the Kainji Game Reserve, has severely compromised security in the region. Police resources remain overstretched, with only about 40 mobile police personnel deployed to guard the village and the school—an insufficient force expected to withstand large-scale bandit attacks.
Compounding the crisis is a serious lack of coordination among security agencies, particularly between the police and the military, further undermining efforts to protect lives and restore safety in the affected communities.
As a result, the people of Papiri are living in constant fear.
“We fear for our children’s lives and education,” says Musa Hassan, a distraught parent.
The closure of St. Mary’s has left over 50 communities without access to quality education, exacerbating Niger State’s already alarming out-of-school rate.
Parents are worried that if the school remains closed, their children may never return to school, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and illiteracy.
The recent directive by Niger State government to keep schools with terrorist threats shut has further fueled speculation among the people that St. Mary’s School, being the only quality educational institution serving over 50 communities, might face permanent closure.
With millions of Nigerian children already out of school, the closure of this school could further dim the prospects of quality education for the affected children.
According to UNICEF, Nigeria has 10.5 million children aged 5-14 out of school, with the north having a net attendance rate of 53%.
The situation in Papiri, other parts of the state and some parts of the country grappling with security challenges underscores the urgent need for improved security and access to education.
Presently, some schools in the state have resumed in areas like Chanchaga, Bosso, Munya, Suleja, Bida, Lapai, Agaie, and Paikoro on Monday, 12 January, 2026 due to improved security, according to a statement, issued by the state commissioner for Basic Education, Dr Asabe Mohammed.
Meanwhile, schools in the Niger North Senatorial zone are still shut due to security concerns.
During the attack and killing of 42 persons by terrorists in Kasuwan Daji on 3rd of January, President Tinubu immediately responded by directing the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Service Chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to go after the perpetrators and ensure justice is served, as well as rescue all the abducted victims urgently.
In a press statement by his Special Adviser on Information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, he strongly condemned the attack on the Kasuwan Daji community and the abduction of women and children while assuring, “we must stand together as one people and confront these monsters in unison. United, we can and must defeat them, deny them any sanctuary. We must reclaim the peace and security of these attacked communities”.
Also, Niger state Governor, Umaru Mohammed Bago after the gruesome killings on 3 January, in a statement, described it as, “very disturbing and worrying to start the year with such unfortunate incidents.”
Reflecting on 2025 in another statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, Governor Bago described the year as one of mixed feelings for Niger State, marked by both achievements and devastating challenges.
Bago highlighted progress in infrastructure, education, agriculture, healthcare, economy, and security, but acknowledged security concerns, including the Papiri school abduction and banditry.
“The state government is supporting security operatives to eliminate these criminals,” he said.
The Governor also mentioned the state’s collaboration with the federal government to train forest guards to combat insurgency while appreciating President Tinubu and the office of the NSA for support given to the state.
In an effort to foster collaboration with the Niger State Government in tackling insecurity, during a visit the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu disclosed that additional resources for training of the Nigerian Army will be provided to assist the state.
“We will conduct operational visits to Headquarters of 31 Artillery Brigade and 18 Brigade in Bida to assess operational gaps with a view to addressing them.
“Nigerian Army looks forward to additional cooperation and collaboration with the state government,” he stated.
Lamenting the situation, the proprietor of the school, and Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Most Rev Bulus Dsuwa Yohanna, in an interview said, “The persistent insecurity in Papiri and surrounding areas is unacceptable. We urge the government to take concrete steps to ensure the safety of our children and restore peace to our land.”
He, however, thanked the government, security agencies and the media for the role they played in securing the release of the victims.
Disturbed by attacks and continued closure of the school, Sister Felicia Gyang, Principal of St. Mary’s school appealed for government support in the area.
“We are worried by the level of insecurity and the government’s directive to close schools until further notice.
“We appeal to the federal and state governments to ensure the children are not denied education and for the safety of everyone,” she told our correspondent.
Pleading for swift action by both federal and state governments to put an end to the attacks, parents and community leaders cited the recent slaughter of 42 persons in Kasuwan Daji market, just 15km from Papiri, as a chilling reminder of the area’s vulnerability.
They recalled that the terrorists invaded and burnt the market and village to the ground in broad daylight, without fear of any security force personnel.
“The people are packing their bags and leaving, fearing further attacks.
“If nothing is done, all our children will be deprived of education, and many of us will end up murdered by these terrorists,” Livinus Samaila, a parent said.
Another parent, Markus Abuka, whose child was abducted and rescued, said: “Although we were devastated, we resorted to prayers and trusted the promise made by the federal government through the NSA Malam Ribadu. But the recent attacks that claimed 42 lives in Kasuwa Daji are a painful reminder of the government’s responsibility to protect us.
“Between Sunday, December 28 and Saturday 3rd January, 2026, the date of the attack in Kasuwan Daji, these bandits roamed freely around the area both by day and night without being challenged by anyone.
“We urge the government to set up a military base and joint security outpost to safeguard the lives of the people in Agwara LGA and neighbouring communities.”
Some of the students who experienced the ordeal and are still reeling from the trauma, Florence Michael and Felicia Musa, prayed for the government to provide security, saying, “We want to continue with our education. If we don’t continue, we will all go back to farms and be denied basic education.”
Another teacher, Mrs. Hannah Tevi, who was abducted alongside her son and her husband who was visiting them at the time, described their experience in captivity as very traumatic and still remains fresh in their memories,
As the concerns continue, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall, in a statement earlier in the month, called for stronger protection of civilian spaces and schools following the series of attacks in Niger State.
Fall described the abduction of the school children and teachers as a “grave violation of human rights, including the right to life and the protection of civilians, particularly, the abduction of women and children, undermining the right to education.”
Similarly, Hon. Jonathan Vatsa, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in Niger State, in a statement called for the immediate establishment of a military base and deployment of marine police to Agwara local government to minimize terrorist attacks.
“The persistent and current situation is beyond what the state government alone can handle.
“River Niger has increasingly become a security blind spot that enables armed groups to evade land-based security operations, and this vulnerability was glaringly exposed during the insecurity around Papiri community where attackers leveraged riverine routes to perpetrate violence and retreat beyond the immediate reach of conventional security forces,” Vatsa stressed.
However, Niger State Commissioner for Homeland Security, Barrister Maurice Magaji in a telephone interview explained that comprehensive efforts were ongoing to ensure security was in place in Agwara, Borgu and other troubled LGAs in the state.
According to him, “the Niger State government would not want to put the lives of its people at risk by rushing to open schools in troubled areas because it has a responsibility to protect lives and properties.
“Life comes before education, let us be calm and as soon as there is calm within a short time, the schools in these troubled areas will be opened in phases,” he said.
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