This photo released by the Christian Association of Nigeria shows the dormitories of St. Mary's Catholic Primary and Secondary School after gunmen abducted children and staff in Papiri community in Nigeria, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (AP)

The number of schoolchildren abducted in an attack on St. Mary’s School in Niger state has risen to more than 300, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said on Saturday. As a safety precaution, Christmas holidays have been declared in all schools in Niger state.

CAN said 303 children and 12 teachers were taken during the attack in the Papiri community. The revised figure came “after a verification exercise and a final census”, according to a statement by Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, head of CAN in Niger state.

Yohanna, who visited the school, told

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