Pupils abducted from Catholic school in fresh Nigeria attack

An unknown number of pupils have been abducted by armed men from a Catholic school in central Nigeria, marking the second school kidnapping in less than a week.

The latest attack targeted St Mary's School in Papiri, Niger state, where authorities had already ordered the temporary closure of all boarding schools due to rising security threats.

Details remain unclear but residents fear that close to 100 students and staff may have been taken away during the early-morning raid.

Nigeria has faced a renewed wave of attacks by armed groups in recent days, including the kidnapping on Monday of 25 schoolgirls from a boarding school in nearby Kebbi state.

Police said armed men - locally known as bandits - stormed St Mary's School on Friday at about 02:00 local time (01:00 GMT) and abducted an unconfirmed number of students from their hostel.

"The exact number of abducted pupils is yet to be confirmed as security agencies continue to assess the situation," Niger state authorities said in a statement.

Fear and uncertainty have gripped the area as families wait for news.

The surge in attacks has underscored the deepening insecurity in the West African nation and prompted President Bola Tinubu to postpone planned foreign trips.