Papiri School Abduction Fallout: Fear, Trauma and Uncertainty Keep Niger Community Classrooms Shut Two Months On

Two months after gunmen stormed St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, classrooms remain silent, gates locked and hundreds of children uncertain about their future.

Despite the release of all 230 abducted students and teachers in December, teaching and learning have not resumed in the rural community, where fear now shapes daily life more than routine.

The attack on 21 November 2025, carried out in broad daylight, shocked Papiri and surrounding villages. While the return of the captives brought relief, a fresh wave of violence — including the killing of 42 people at Kasuwan Daji market earlier this month — has deepened anxiety and stalled any return to normalcy.

Parents say the emotional scars of the kidnapping, combined with weak security, have left them afraid to send their children back to school.

“We fear for our children’s lives”

St Mary’s Catholic School serves more than 50 communities across Agwara Local Government Area and has long been regarded as the only quality educational institution in the area.

Now, its prolonged closure is fuelling concerns that many children may never return to formal education.

“We fear for our children’s lives and their education,” said Musa Hassan, a parent. “If this school stays shut, many of them will end up on farms or roaming the streets.”

Niger State already struggles with a high number of out-of-school children. According to UNICEF, Nigeria has about 10.5 million children aged five to 14 not attending school, with northern regions recording significantly lower attendance rates.

Security gaps and overstretched forces

Investigations by journalists and community leaders point to severe security shortcomings around Papiri and neighbouring areas.

There is no military base in Agwara or Borgu Local Government Areas, north of the Kainji Lake National Park. Police units in the area are said to be under-resourced, with limited personnel, vehicles and equipment.

Residents say barely 40 mobile police officers are tasked with protecting the village and school — an effort widely viewed as insufficient against heavily armed bandits who operate freely across land and river routes.

A lack of coordination between security agencies and a complex military command structure inherited from earlier administrative arrangements have also been blamed for slow response times during attacks.

Government cautious over reopening schools

The Niger State government has directed that schools facing terrorist threats remain closed until security improves. While some schools reopened on 12 January in areas such as Chanchaga, Bosso, Suleja and Bida, institutions in the Niger North Senatorial Zone — including Papiri — remain shut.

The state Commissioner for Homeland Security, Barrister Maurice Magaji, said authorities were unwilling to rush the reopening of schools in volatile areas.

“Life comes before education,” he said. “As soon as there is calm, schools in these troubled areas will be opened in phases.”

National and international reactions

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu condemned the Kasuwan Daji killings and ordered top security chiefs to pursue those responsible and restore safety to affected communities.

Niger State Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago described the attacks as a grim way to begin the year, while acknowledging that insecurity — including the Papiri school abduction — remains one of the state’s most serious challenges.

The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall, has also called for stronger protection of schools, describing the abduction of students and teachers as a grave violation of human rights and the right to education.

Calls for military base and urgent action

Community leaders, parents and political figures are now demanding the establishment of a permanent military base and joint security outpost in Agwara LGA.

APC chieftain and former commissioner Jonathan Vatsa warned that riverine routes along the River Niger have become security blind spots exploited by armed groups.

“The situation is beyond what the state government alone can handle,” he said.

Children still haunted by the ordeal

Some of the rescued students say the trauma of captivity still weighs heavily on them.

“We want to continue our education,” said Florence Michael, one of the students. “If we don’t, we will be denied a future.”

The Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and proprietor of the school, Most Rev Bulus Dsuwa Yohanna, described the insecurity in Papiri as unacceptable and urged authorities to take decisive action to protect children and restore confidence.

As families quietly relocate and fear grips the community, residents warn that without swift and visible security intervention, Papiri risks losing not just a school — but an entire generation’s chance at education.