Abuja: Nigeria recorded its second mass school abduction in a week after gunmen attacked a Catholic school in the conflict-hit northern region on Friday, authorities said.

Police confirmed that 303 students and 12 teachers were seized from St. Mary’s School in Papiri community, Niger state. The identity of the attackers was not immediately known, and police said a rescue team had been deployed.

The incident came four days after 25 students were kidnapped in neighbouring Kebbi state. School abductions have become a recurring feature of Nigeria’s insecurity crisis, as armed gangs increasingly target schools to draw attention and demand ransom.

UNICEF estimates that only 37% of schools across 10 conflict-affected states have early warning systems to detect potential attacks.

The wave of

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