Papiri: More than two hundred students and a dozen teachers were taken by armed men from a Catholic school in central Nigeria in one of the largest mass kidnappings the country has seen in recent years. The attack took place early Friday at St Marys Catholic School in the Papiri community of Niger State.

Local officials and the Christian Association of Nigeria said that around 303 students and 12 teachers were confirmed missing after the school was stormed by gunmen. Earlier counts had reported about 215 students, but the number increased as families and authorities completed their verification. Some reports suggest the final number could be even higher.

Witnesses said the attackers arrived on motorcycles and forced their way into the school compound, which houses both primary and secondary students. The children were taken from their dormitories and classrooms before being moved into nearby forest areas. No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction.

Security forces, including the military, police and local vigilante groups, have been deployed to search for the victims. Authorities also ordered nearby schools to close as a safety measure. Officials admitted they had received intelligence warnings of rising threats in the region, and that the school had reopened without full government clearance.

This is the second major school kidnapping in the country within a week. Earlier, twenty five schoolgirls were taken from a school in Kebbi State. The repeated attacks have renewed concerns about the growing insecurity in central and northwestern Nigeria, where armed groups known locally as bandits have targeted schools for years.

Nigerias president has cancelled international travel to focus on the crisis, and international organisations have expressed alarm over the scale of the kidnapping.

Families in Papiri are waiting anxiously for news as search operations continue. Authorities have not yet released details on ransom demands or the condition of the abducted students and teachers.