A father has told the BBC he felt powerless as he witnessed gunmen on motorbikes abduct dozens of children, including his son, after storming a Catholic boarding school in northern Nigeria in the early hours of Friday.
The father said he was asleep when he was awoken by the noise of the gunmen as they went past his home with the children they had seized from St Mary's school in Papiri village in Niger state.
They [the children] were being trafficked on foot the way shepherds control their herds. Some children were falling and the men would kick them and instruct them to stand up.
The gunmen were on about 50 motorcycle bikes while controlling them, said the father, whose name we have changed to Theo for his safety.
Speaking to the BBC in the dormitory where his son used to sleep, Theo said he was in no position to stop the abduction.
I felt like going [to help] but I thought better of it. Even if I did go, what could I do? I couldn't do anything, he told the BBC, adding that he called the police but it was too late by the time they arrived.
The Christian Association of Nigeria has said that 303 students and 12 members of staff were taken from the school, but that 50 of the children managed to escape and have been reunited with their families.
The school was run by the chairman of the association's Niger chapter, who has shared a list of those abducted with the BBC.
However, police said they were only aware of a few children escaping on the night of the abduction, and could not confirm that 50 more had escaped.
The Niger state governor, Umar Bago, told local media that the number of abducted students had been exaggerated, and it was far, far below 303.
The governor blamed the school authorities for opening the establishment despite threats by unknown gunmen four years ago, and again two months ago.
The schools in that area have been closed for four years now. I was surprised to learn the school is still open, Bago said.
He also insisted that the attack was just a scare and that all students would be rescued sooner or later.
A father camping outside the school alongside other parents expressed frustration over the government's indifference, stating, Our children were kidnapped but the government doesn't seem to pay attention to it. He mentioned that the governor had not personally visited the site.
Another parent shared his emotional turmoil, as he reported two of his children were among those kidnapped. He expressed immense relief when his youngest son narrowly avoided capture.
This incident is part of a troubling trend, where northern Nigeria has become a hotspot for abductions for ransom, with local gangs exploiting the vast rural areas for their operations.
In light of growing insecurity, many schools have faced closures as parents prioritize their children's safety. Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has sought to address the crisis, even canceling international engagements to respond to the situation.
This mass abduction at St Mary's boarding school adds to the long history of insecurity and violence in Nigeria and highlights the urgent need for effective governmental intervention.
