The Niger State Government has blamed the management of St Mary’s Papiri Private Catholic Secondary School in Agwara Local Government Area (LGA) following the mass abduction of pupils and staff on Friday morning.
In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, the government said it received news of the kidnapping “with deep sadness,” adding that the “exact number of abducted pupils is yet to be confirmed” as security agencies continue their assessments.
The government said the attack occurred despite prior intelligence warning of heightened security risks in parts of Niger North Senatorial District.
“A clear directive was issued suspending all construction activities and ordering the temporary closure of all boarding schools within the affected zone as a precautionary measure,” the statement read.
However, the statement lamented that St Mary’s School disregarded the directive.
“Regrettably, St Mary’s School proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the State Government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk,” it added.
The statement follows the overnight raid in which armed terrorists stormed the school between 2:00 am and 3:00 am, abducting a large number of students and staff.
Ahmed Abdullahi Rofia, Head of Disaster and Relief for Agwara Local Government, alongside Bello Gidi, media aide to the chairman of Agwara LGA, verified the incident.
Gidi had said: “Yes, it’s true that bandits have kidnapped students and teachers at St. Mary’s Papiri Private Catholic Secondary School. The information reaching us indicates that over 100 students and teachers have been taken. The school is mixed, boys and girls.”
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