52 Catholic school students in Nigeria kidnapped by gunmen in latest attack: report

Gunmen successful Nigeria kidnapped respective students and unit from a Catholic schoolhouse aboriginal Friday, marking the latest onslaught connected a Christian institution.

Nigerian quality outlet Arise TV said 52 children were abducted from St. Mary's School. The Catholic instauration is successful Agwara section government’s Papiri community, according to The Associated Press, which cited Abubakar Usman, the caput to the Niger authorities government. The outlet added that Usman did not specify however galore children were kidnapped successful the attack.

The Niger State Police Command said subject and information forces were deployed to the country wherever the onslaught took spot successful the aboriginal hours of Friday, the AP reported. Additionally, the Niger State Police Command said St. Mary's educates students ages 12-17.

GUNMEN ATTACK CHURCH IN NIGERIA, KILLING TWO AND KIDNAPPING OTHERS

A drone presumption of Christians departing St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church aft a Sunday wide successful Palmgrove, Lagos, Nigeria, connected Nov. 2, 2025.  (Sodiq Adelakun/Reuters)

Following the attack, Usman released a connection condemning the abductions and stating that St. Mary's made the determination to reopen contempt anterior information quality informing of accrued threats, according to Arise TV.

"Regrettably, St. Mary’s School proceeded to reopen and resume world activities without notifying oregon seeking clearance from the State Government, thereby exposing pupils and the unit to avoidable risk," the connection read.

The onslaught astatine St. Mary's follows a akin incidental earlier this week successful which equipped attackers kidnapped 25 girls from a boarding schoolhouse successful Nigeria’s Kebbi State and killed astatine slightest 1 staffer. The hunt for the abducted schoolgirls is inactive underway.

On Wednesday, gunmen attacked the Christ Apostolic Church, sidesplitting astatine slightest 2 radical and abducting the pastor and 38 worshippers, according to Reuters. In a video of the attack, which was reviewed and verified by Reuters, equipped men are seen entering the religion and taking worshippers' belongings arsenic gunshots ringing out. The outlet aboriginal reported that a religion authoritative said the gunmen demanded a ransom of 100 cardinal naira (roughly $69,000) per worshipper.

Gunmen prime up the belongings near down by worshipers who ran for screen aft proceeding gunshots, arsenic they locomotion into a Church successful Eruku, Kwara state, Nigeria, connected Nov. 18, 2025, successful this representation obtained from societal media. (Social media/via Reuters)

RAP STAR NICKI MINAJ THANKS TRUMP FOR ADDRESSING PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN NIGERIA

Nigeria has seen a bid of attacks connected Christians, prompting President Donald Trump to state the West African federation a "country of peculiar concern" implicit the persecution of Christians. However, the Nigerian authorities has disputed the U.S.'s claims.

On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz held an lawsuit highlighting the ongoing unit successful Nigeria. During the event, Waltz called the killings of Christians successful Nigeria "genocide wearing the disguise of chaos."

"Folks, we person an full religion that is being erased, 1 slug astatine a time, 1 torched Bible astatine a time," Waltz said.

Nicki Minaj is greeted by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz up of a sheet treatment titled "Combatting Religious Violence and the Killing of Christians successful Nigeria" astatine the U.S. Mission to the United Nations successful New York City connected Nov. 18, 2025. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

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Rap superstar Nicki Minaj, who has been vocal astir her enactment for the Trump administration's efforts to combat the persecution of Christians successful Nigeria, spoke astatine Waltz's event. Minaj lamented that "families person been torn apart, and full communities unrecorded successful fearfulness constantly, simply due to the fact that of however they pray."

Fox News Digital's Ashley Carnahan and Paul Tilsley contributed to this report.