Abductions

More than three hundred schoolchildren and a dozen teachers were abducted on Friday during an attack on St Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria. The updated count was released on Saturday after church officials completed a full verification exercise.

The mass abduction, one of the largest recorded in recent years, has intensified concern about rising insecurity across north-central and northwestern Nigeria. It also follows another school attack earlier in the week, adding pressure on federal authorities as communities demand stronger protection.

The Niger State chairman of CAN, the Most Reverend Bulus Dauwa …