At least 12 pupils of an Islamic school in Maikujeri community, Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, have reportedly been abducted by bandits, as renewed attacks force farmers to abandon their homes and farmlands.
As reported by Daily Trust, the pupils of Madarasatul Nurul Islam were said to have been seized on Saturday morning while returning from their teacher’s farm, where they had gone to harvest maize.
A resident, Mohammed Adamu, told Daily Trust that the children were on their way home when the armed men intercepted them. A commercial motorcyclist, identified as Tasi’u, who reportedly attempted to escape from the attackers, was shot and is receiving treatment at the IBB Specialist Hospital in Minna.
However, another source familiar with the incident said 13 people were taken away, including 12 female pupils aged between nine and 14 and the younger brother of the school's proprietor, Mallam Mainasara. The source said the victims were seized at a borehole where they had stopped to wash and drink water.
According to the source, the teacher had received information that bandits were approaching the area and instructed the pupils to return home while he escaped on his motorcycle. The attackers reportedly struck when the children stopped at the borehole.
The source also alleged that some women were abducted from another farm in the area. When contacted, the Niger State Police Command spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said six abducted persons had been rescued during a separate security operation around Pandogari in Rafi LGA, but did not immediately confirm the reported abduction of the pupils.
Meanwhile, residents of Borgu, Mariga, Mashegu and Rijau local government areas have continued to flee their communities following persistent attacks, leaving large quantities of rice, maize and soybeans unattended on farms.
A resident of Mariga, Ibrahim Ayuba, said bandits had occupied several communities, including Ragada, Maburya, Mazame, Kuimo and Kura, as well as parts of Rijau, for nearly three weeks, forcing residents to seek refuge in neighbouring towns.
He alleged that the attacks had claimed three lives, left several people injured and resulted in reports of sexual violence against women. Ayuba added that farmers could lose their harvests if they were unable to return to their farms to gather their produce.
The latest incident adds to a growing list of mass abductions in Niger State. More than 500 worshippers were reportedly kidnapped from several communities in August, while 47 farmers were seized in Tugan-Rimi, Mariga LGA, in September. In November 2025, 230 pupils, students and staff members were abducted from St Mary's Catholic School in Papiri before they were eventually rescued.
Speaking on the worsening security situation, a security consultant, Auwal Bala Durumin Iya, called for the establishment of a specialised forest security system, arguing that criminal groups exploit poorly secured forest areas to launch attacks on rural communities.
He said the government should deploy properly trained forest marshals and establish an independent intelligence research centre to identify emerging threats and provide early warnings to security agencies.
Also, a security and counter-terrorism expert, Chidi Omeje, said tackling kidnapping required stronger grassroots intelligence, improved border and forest surveillance, effective collaboration among security agencies and the prosecution of suspects and their financiers.
A former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ahmed Rufai, also attributed the kidnapping crisis to the activities of terrorist organisations, bandit groups, informants and financial networks that facilitate ransom payments.
Speaking at the Global Security Forum in Doha, Qatar, Rufai said abductions had evolved beyond ransom collection, with some groups now using them for propaganda, recruitment and negotiations for the release of detained members.
He stressed that addressing the crisis required understanding the motives of the different criminal groups and adopting appropriate responses, including discreet negotiations in cases where victims were held primarily for ransom.
