Dozens of pupils were taken from a Catholic boarding school in Nigeria’s Niger state after armed men launched a nighttime assault that left a security worker “badly shot”.

St Mary’s School, in the Agwara local government’s Papiri community, was attacked on Friday, with schoolchildren and staff abducted.

The Niger State Police Command said the assault happened in the early hours of Friday and confirmed that military and security forces were deployed.

Abubakar Usman, the Secretary of the Niger state government, said he was unable to give a precise number of those taken or who may be responsible, but mentioned the attack showed the danger faced by Christian communities.

Local broadcaster Arise TV reported that 52 children were abducted.

The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora said a security staffer was “badly shot” during the raid.

The government said in a statement: “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”.

The school serves children aged 12 to 17.

The abduction came days after gunmen kidnapped 25 schoolgirls from a high school in neighbouring Kebbi state on Monday, as previously reported by Premier Christian News.

On the same day in Kwara state, armed men attacked a church, killing two people and abducting 38 worshippers, the Christ Apostolic Church told the Associated Press on Friday.

Nicki Minaj, the US rapper, rung the alarm about the Christian persecution of Nigerians when she addressed the United Nations at an event on Tuesday. 

President Bola Tinubu postponed a planned Group of 20 summit in response to the escalating attacks on Christian communities.

While no group has claimed responsibility, authorities said the gunmen are mostly former herders who have taken up arms against farming communities after clashes between them over strained resources.