Papiri kidnapping

St Mary's School is a Catholic secondary school in Papiri, on the northern edge of Kainji Lake, Nigeria. Nigeria struggles with an abduction crisis; at least five mass kidnappings have occurred in schools since President Bola Tinubu took office in May 2023. The region of Niger in which the attack occurred was suffering particularly from banditry in the period leading up to the abductions. The attack occurred amid a security crisis in Nigeria. That week, kidnappers attacked residences in Zamfara State, a Kebbi State school, and a Kwara State church, seizing dozens at each location. Amid the worsening security situation, President Tinubu cancelled his trips to the G20 summit and the 7th European Union–African Union Summit. Families in Papiri had requested security forces to protect their children long before the abduction, but reported no one came. One abducted student who later escaped reported that "Neither the police, nor the military nor the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps responded to our demands." Motives Niger State has been prone to banditry of cattle and kidnapping for ransom, Because of this regional insecurity, experts suspected that the kidnapping was not religiously but rather monetarily motivated. A regional security analyst added that the security vacuum allowed for the attack, citing that there was little evidence pointing towards Trump's comments themselves doing so. == Attack ==

The attack happened at night and took approximately three hours. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) counted 303 children, some of them just five years old, and 12 teachers as kidnapped, revising earlier lower estimates. The CAN claimed that 88 had tried to escape, but were intercepted by kidnappers. This would make the kidnapping one of the largest in Nigerian history. Niger State governor Mohammed Umar Bago contested the estimate, stating that there were far fewer abductees and that they would all be returned. Later stories, however, reported some of the children taken are as young as five years old. == Aftermath ==

The day after the kidnapping, on 22 November, Nigerian authorities stated that they had deployed local hunters and tactical squads to search for the abductees. Human Rights Watch criticized the moves amid other early closures nationwide for stunting students' academic development, barring "access to education and the social and psychological support schools provide." Students reportedly hid from gunmen when they stormed the building and returned to safety days later. The CAN confirmed this figure after reaching out to families of those abducted. Those which escaped were returned to their families later that day. Daniel Atori, an aide to Bishop Bulus Yohanna, the archbishop for the diocese of the school, said the children would be given to the local governor "in an observatory arrangement for psychosocial treatment" before being returned to their parents. Responsibility Although praise was given for President Tinubu's economic reforms, criticisms were raised with growing insecurity nationwide, despite Tinubu's pledge to recruit, raise pay, and better equip soldiers and police officers. The terrorist's affiliation which released the video was not stated or noticeable. == Reactions and response ==

Domestic To better organize ground efforts, President Tinubu ordered a 24-hour security cordon around forests in Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States. In an interview with the BBC, parents of some of the abducted students noted a fear of talking to authorities or journalists. The families were concerned that the kidnappers would inflict further harm or return for the families of the abducted. Organizations • The United Kingdom-based NASUWT teachers' union stood in solidarity with Nigerian teachers, students, and families. They reiterated the fundamental right of education, underscoring that schools should be "free from fear and violence." They called for "the immediate and safe release of all abducted children and staff, and for international pressure to ensure that schools are protected from future attacks." • Human Rights Watch (HRW), in addressing both the kidnappings in Kebbi and Niger State, spoke to the "deliberate targeting of students, teachers, and schools in Nigeria's deteriorating security environment", which displays Nigeria's failure to "protect vulnerable communities." HRW argued that Nigeria failed to learn from previous attacks by not putting in early warning systems. HRW also urged Nigeria to prioritize both taking "concrete steps to protect education during conflict and insecurity", and advancing "a proposal to introduce legislation to implement the Safe Schools Declaration." • Amnesty International criticised President Tinubu's security policies as having failed to prevent the kidnapping. == See also ==