Many parents whose children were taken from a Nigerian boarding school ten days ago are living in terror, choosing not to speak with officials or reporters out of fear that the kidnappers could retaliate. One father, who asked to be identified only as Aliyu, told the BBC that even the slightest public comment could put families at risk, as armed groups have been known to abduct critics from their homes and drag them into the wilderness.
Aliyus young son is among more than three hundred children seized when gunmen stormed St Marys Catholic School in the village of Papiri, located in Niger state, during the early hours of 21 November. Some of the victims are as young as five. While roughly two hundred and fifty students remain unaccounted for, local officials dispute the exact figures, insisting the numbers circulating publicly are inflated.
The attack is part of a broader surge in mass kidnappings across northern and central Nigeria. Many of these raids are believed to be carried out by criminal groups widely referred to as bandits, who have turned kidnapping for ransom into a lucrative trade. Aliyu said the remoteness of his community puts residents directly in the path of these groups. He explained that the hideouts used by the kidnappers are only a few hours away, though attempting to reach them without security support would be far too dangerous.
He fears for his sons safety, recounting how abducted children held in forest camps have died in past incidents due to illness or the nonpayment of ransoms. His family is in anguish, he said, and desperate for intervention that might help bring the children home.
Two days after the Papiri attack, twelve teenage girls were taken in Borno state, a region long affected by militant activity. The military reported that the Islamic State West Africa Province was responsible for the abduction while the girls were harvesting crops, though they were later recovered in a targeted operation. Days before that, twenty five girls were kidnapped from their school in the Kebbi region. One escaped on her own, and security forces later rescued the remaining students from a rural settlement. Authorities have released no information about ransom payments. Paying ransoms is illegal, though hostages have been harmed or killed when money has not been delivered.
Although no group has claimed responsibility for the latest school kidnappings, government sources suggest jihadist fighters, not bandit groups, were behind them. Some residents, however, suspect local involvement, arguing that such operations would be impossible without collaborators who know the terrain well.
In areas where communities have endured years of rampant banditry, a new survival strategy has emerged. With little faith in law enforcement, some rural villages have negotiated informal peace agreements with armed groups. These arrangements often grant bandits access to land or mining areas in exchange for an end to attacks. Security analysts say that in certain places these deals have reduced violence, though the overall threat has not disappeared.
A notable example is Katsina state, once associated with frequent kidnappings. Over the past year, community leaders and bandit commanders have met under trees in open fields to negotiate terms. Agreements have included the reopening of schools, restrictions on entering communities with weapons, and the safe movement of herders and their cattle. In return, local markets and water sources have been made accessible to the armed groups. Some kidnapped residents have been released following these talks.
Bandit leaders participating in the negotiations have argued that life on the run has become increasingly difficult. Their nomadic lifestyle limits access to food and clean water, driving up costs and creating hardships even within their own ranks. Some leaders have publicly expressed a desire to end the cycle of violence.
Despite hopeful signs in some districts, experts warn that such agreements may push armed groups into other regions where communities are wealthier and more able to pay ransoms. The recent surge in attacks has fueled speculation about outside political motives, but analysts say these operations remain driven primarily by profit rather than ideology.
Security specialists argue that resolving the crisis will require both strong military pressure and negotiated amnesty programs. However, for parents in Papiri, peace talks feel remote as they continue to wait for news of their children. Their only hope is that the captives return safely and that their communities are spared from further suffering.
