Niger State Probes St. Mary’s School Kidnap Amid DSS Alerts; Military Investigates Kebbi Attack

The Niger State government, under Governor Umar Bago, has launched an official investigation into the circumstances surrounding the abduction of students from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Agwara Local Government Area. The probe comes in the wake of revelations that the school principal defied direct government orders to keep boarding schools closed due to credible security threats in the region.

Early Friday morning, armed assailants stormed St. Mary’s Catholic School, abducting an undisclosed number of pupils. This incident follows a similar abduction earlier this week in neighbouring Kebbi State, where 22 girls from a government secondary school were kidnapped and the vice principal was killed, despite the presence of security personnel who allegedly abandoned their posts minutes before the attack.

Alhaji Abubakar Usman, Secretary to the Niger State Government, confirmed the kidnapping and condemned the reopening of boarding schools contrary to government security advisories. According to Usman, the government had received credible intelligence from the Department of State Services (DSS) as far back as August, warning of planned attacks by terrorist groups including Ansaru and ISWAP on schools in the region. Consequently, all construction activities were suspended, and boarding schools within the northern senatorial district were ordered closed as a precaution.

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“The reopening of St. Mary’s School without notifying or obtaining clearance from the State Government was reckless and exposed students and staff to grave danger,” Usman remarked. Security agencies are currently conducting comprehensive rescue operations and investigations, with suspicion growing that the principal’s unilateral decision to reopen the school—without the proprietor’s knowledge—may constitute sabotage.

The Catholic school, established by an Irish priest, has long been a beacon of education in the area but now faces scrutiny over compliance with security measures. Notably, the principal reportedly traveled to Abuja just hours before the abduction, deepening concerns about possible internal collusion.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian military has initiated a separate inquiry into the attack on Government Girls Secondary School in Kebbi State. This probe focuses on how armed soldiers deployed to protect the students reportedly abandoned their positions roughly thirty minutes before gunmen launched the assault. The attack resulted in the abduction of 22 girls and the death of the vice principal, prompting calls for accountability within the security ranks.

The repeated attacks on educational institutions despite robust security alerts highlight alarming gaps between intelligence gathering and implementation. The Niger State government reiterates its commitment to safeguarding lives and calls on all school authorities and community leaders to strictly adhere to security directives to prevent further tragedies