The Niger government has blamed the school management of St. Mary’s School in Agwara LGA of the state over the bandits’ attack on the school, which resulted in the kidnapping of several students.

The secretary to the government, Abubakar Usman, in a statement on Friday, said the unfortunate incident came despite a prior intelligence report obtained by the government indicating an increased threat level in parts of the Niger North senatorial District.

“The Niger state government has received with deep sadness the disturbing news of the kidnapping of pupils from St. Mary’s School in Agwara Local Government Area. The exact number of abducted pupils is yet to be confirmed as security agencies continue to assess the situation,” the statement said.

The government slammed the school management for opening the school despite a clear directive suspending all construction activities and ordering the temporary closure of all boarding schools within the affected zone.

“In response to these credible security alerts, the state government had earlier issued a clear directive suspending all construction activities and ordering the temporary closure of all boarding schools within the affected zone as a precautionary measure.

“Regrettably, St. Mary’s School proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the state government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk,” it said.

The government said security agencies had since commenced a full-scale investigation and search-and-rescue operations to ensure the safe return of the pupils and assured citizens of updates as more information becomes available.

While urging school proprietors, community leaders, and all stakeholders to strictly adhere to security advisories issued in the interest of public safety, the government said protecting lives, especially those of our children, remained the administration’s utmost priority.

“We call on the public to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies by providing any useful information that may aid ongoing efforts,” it added.

The management of St. Mary’s School could not be immediately reached for comment on whether it received such a directive.

Meanwhile, the police said necessary action would be taken against the school management for continuing academic activities, despite the government’s directive to close schools in the area due to security challenges.