The updated tally, revised after a verification exercise, includes an additional 88 students captured while attempting to flee.

The abduction occurred four days after 25 girls were seized in Kebbi State, highlighting a widening pattern of coordinated school attacks.

Scale Of Abduction Revised Upward

The Christian Association of Nigeria said 303 children and 12 teachers were taken from St. Mary’s Catholic School during Friday’s assault, raising earlier figures of 215 students after a school-level census.

Officials added that 88 more students, aged 10–18, were caught while trying to escape, bringing the total number of abducted individuals to 403.

The school complex in Papiri spans more than 50 buildings, including classrooms and dormitories, and lies near a major corridor linking Yelwa and Mokwa. Satellite imagery shows both primary and secondary facilities were affected.

Pattern Of Attacks Across Northern States

The raid closely followed the abduction of 25 schoolgirls from Maga in neighboring Kebbi State, located 170 km away, where 24 remain missing after one escaped.

Authorities say no armed group has yet claimed responsibility for either incident, but security forces have deployed tactical squads supported by local hunters to track the kidnappers.

Officials previously warned of heightened threats in the area, and the Niger State government accused school administrators of reopening “without clearance,” a claim denied by church authorities.

Families Search As Security Concerns Grow

Residents described scenes of panic as parents rushed between buildings seeking missing children. One grandfather said four of his grandchildren, aged 7–10, were among those abducted.

Nigeria’s broader insecurity is reflected in UNICEF data showing only 37% of schools in 10 high-risk states have early-warning systems to detect threats.

Political Fallout And International Undertones

President Bola Tinubu cancelled his planned trip to the G20 summit in South Africa following the mass abduction, delegating Vice President Kashim Shettima to attend instead.

The attacks also come amid sharply politicized narratives about targeted religious killings in Nigeria, with U.S. President Donald Trump asserting claims that Abuja rejects as inaccurate.