Photo caption: Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the abduction of students and staff at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, describing the incident as “truly heartbreaking.”
Reacting on X on Friday to a newspaper report of the attack, Atiku asked, “How many more lives must be shattered before decisive action is taken?”
He further urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on insecurity and confront the menace with the urgency it deserves.
“It is not too late for the government to finally declare a state of emergency on insecurity and confront this menace with the urgency it deserves,” he added.
Tension gripped the community after armed men reportedly struck the Catholic school between 2 am and 3 am on Friday, abducting an unconfirmed number of students and staff.
PUNCH Online reports that sources within the Catholic Church in Niger State confirmed the raid but said the exact number of victims was still being determined.
According to the Niger State Government, the school had resumed operations despite a prior closure order, a decision they said exposed students and staff to risk.
Security forces, including police and military personnel, have since been deployed to the area to carry out rescue operations.
The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora has also condemned the attack, calling for swift and decisive action to secure the missing persons.
The raid comes just days after a similar attack in Maga, Kebbi State, where 25 students were abducted from a girls’ boarding school.
This has heightened nationwide concerns over the worsening insecurity in schools across the North.
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