Heartbreaking Despair: Nigerian Father's Ordeal During Mass Child Abduction

Tue Nov 25 2025 20:39:57 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a harrowing encounter, a father witnesses the painful kidnapping of his son and dozens of other children by armed assailants from a boarding school in northern Nigeria. This has triggered widespread outrage and highlighted ongoing security issues in the region.

A father, who saw his son abducted by armed gunmen at St Mary's boarding school in Papiri village, expressed his helplessness as the children were taken away on foot. The incident has sparked anger among parents and community members, accusing the government of negligence. Despite claims that children managed to escape, officials have yet to confirm these reports. The increasing frequency of such attacks raises alarm about security in Nigeria, with parents taking drastic measures to protect their children.

A father has told the BBC he felt powerless as he witnessed gunmen on motorbikes abduct dozens of children, including his son, after storming a Catholic boarding school in northern Nigeria in the early hours of Friday.

The father said he was asleep when he was awoken by the noise of the gunmen as they went past his home with the children they had seized from St Mary's school in Papiri village in Niger state.

They [the children] were being trafficked on foot the way shepherds control their herds. Some children were falling and the men would kick them and instruct them to stand up.

The gunmen were on about 50 motorcycle bikes while controlling them, said the father, whose name we have changed to Theo for his safety.

Speaking to the BBC in the dormitory where his son used to sleep, Theo said he was in no position to stop the abduction.

I felt like going [to help] but I thought better of it. Even if I did go, what could I do? I couldn't do anything, he told the BBC, adding that he called the police but it was too late by the time they arrived.

The Christian Association of Nigeria has stated that 303 students and 12 staff members were taken from the school, though 50 managed to escape and reunite with their families. However, the police reported only a few escapes and could not confirm the figure of 50.

The Niger state governor, Umar Bago, suggested that the number of abducted students was exaggerated and blamed the school authorities for remaining open despite prior threats.

Many parents, including Theo, expressed frustration at the government's inaction and negligence, while the ongoing crisis continues to affect the safety of schools across Nigeria, resulting in closures and parents retrieving their children amidst fears of abductions.