In the wake of a devastating mass abduction and a nearby market massacre, community leaders, parents, and a bishop in Niger State are issuing a desperate plea for the federal government to establish a permanent military base in Agwara Local Government Area. This call aims to secure the region, protect vulnerable communities, and allow the only quality school serving over 50 communities to reopen its doors.
A Community Under Siege Pleads for Protection
The recent kidnapping of 230 children and teachers from St Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri on December 28, 2025, laid bare the severe security vacuum in the area. This incident was compounded by the Kasuwan Daji market massacre on January 3, 2026, where terrorists killed 42 people in broad daylight, burning the village just 15 kilometers from Papiri.
These attacks have triggered a mass exodus. Residents from Papiri and nearby villages like Guffanti, Sokonbara, and Bako-Mission are fleeing daily, fearing further violence. The current security response—approximately 40 mobile police officers guarding the village—is deemed grossly inadequate. Parents and teachers report being forced to sleep in the bush at night to avoid being kidnapped or killed.
"The current situation in Papiri is not fair on the mobile police, where 40 of them are expected to defend against at least more than twice that number of attacking bandits," a community assessment noted.
Systemic Security Failures and the Education Crisis
The crisis in Agwara and neighbouring Borgu LGA is rooted in a profound lack of security infrastructure. Investigations reveal there is no military base covering the entirety of Agwara LGA and most of Borgu north of the Kainji Game Reserve. Local police are ill-equipped, understaffed, and lack operational vehicles and firearms.
Furthermore, a laborious military chain of command, reportedly unchanged since Agwara and Borgu were moved from Kwara to Niger State in 1991, hinders rapid troop deployment. There is also a noted lack of coordination between security agencies operating in the zone.
This insecurity directly threatens education. The Niger State government's directive for threatened schools to remain closed has raised fears that St Mary's, the area's sole quality educational institution, may shut permanently. This would be a catastrophic blow in a region where education is already in crisis. A UNICEF report indicates 10.5 million Nigerian children aged 5–14 are out of school, with attendance rates in the north as low as 53%.
"If nothing is done, all our children will be deprived of education, and many of us will end up murdered by these terrorists because we do not have anywhere to go," pleaded parent Livinus Samaila.
Unified Calls for Action and Federal Response
The proprietor of St Mary's School and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who also chairs the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, commended the governments and security agencies for rescuing the abducted victims. He urgently appealed for the establishment of a military outpost.
"Please, all that the government needs to do is to beef up security so that our children, teachers and even people in the area can feel secure and learn in a safe environment," Bishop Yohanna implored.
Echoing this, Hon. Jonathan Vatsa, a former state commissioner and APC chieftain, called for a military base and marine police deployment, highlighting the River Niger as a security blind spot exploited by attackers. Teachers like Cyril Ibrahim and Mrs Hannah Tevi shared their traumatic ordeals and begged for enhanced security to allow them to return to work.
On the government side, Niger State Commissioner for Homeland Security, Barrister Maurice Magaji, stated comprehensive efforts are underway but cautioned against rushing to reopen schools, asserting that "life comes before education." Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu condemned the Kasuwan Daji attack and directed security chiefs to apprehend the perpetrators and rescue all abductees.
The collective appeal from Agwara is clear: without a permanent, well-equipped, and numerous security presence capable of taking the fight to bandits, the region faces continued terror, displacement, and the loss of an entire generation's right to education.
