Panic has gripped a community in western Nigeria after armed attackers stormed a Catholic boarding school and abducted more than 200 students and a dozen of their teachers.
A Coordinated Night-Time Raid
The attack took place at the school located in the town of Maga. Armed gunmen successfully seized 215 students and 12 teachers in a brazen assault, marking the latest in a worrying spate of mass abductions targeting educational institutions in the region.
Among the terrified victims are four grandchildren of Dauda Chekula, a 62-year-old local. Mr Chekula confirmed that the children, who were taken from the school, are aged between just seven and ten years old.
Families Left in Agonising Limbo
The community has been plunged into a state of fear and uncertainty as families desperately wait for information. "We don’t know what is happening now, because we have not heard anything since this morning," Mr Chekula stated, echoing the anguish of many other affected relatives.
This incident is a chilling reminder of the persistent security challenges in the area. It is reported that a Comprehensive Secondary School in the same town of Maga had previously come under attack, highlighting a disturbing pattern of violence targeting schools.
A Deepening National Crisis
The mass abduction on November 21, 2025, represents a significant escalation in the ongoing crisis of kidnappings for ransom in Nigeria. These criminal acts not only traumatise the direct victims and their families but also severely undermine the fundamental right to education and safety for thousands of children.
As this remains a breaking news story, authorities are expected to continue their efforts to locate and secure the safe return of the hundreds of innocent children and their teachers.
