Gunmen have kidnapped 303 children and 12 teachers from St. Mary’s School, a Catholic institution in Nigeria, according to initial reports. The attack, which escalated to a total of over 300 children taken, has raised alarm over the safety of educational institutions in the region. The number of abductions was confirmed after a verification exercise and final census, according to Most. Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, the chairman of the Niger state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), who visited the school on Friday.
Nigeria has experienced a spate of attacks on Christian schools and other institutions, leading to heightened tensions and calls for international intervention. The Nigerian government has denied U.S. claims that the nation is a ‘country of particular concern’ for religious persecution, but the recent attack has renewed calls for action. On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz hosted an event highlighting the ongoing violence, where he labeled the murders of Christians in Nigeria as ‘genocide wearing the mask of chaos.’ He was joined by rap star Nicki Minaj, who called for religious freedom for all.
The attack follows a similar incident earlier this week when armed attackers kidnapped 25 girls from a boarding school in Nigeria’s Kebbi State and killed at least one staffer. The search for the abducted schoolgirls is still ongoing. While Nigerian authorities have said that the school reopened despite warnings of increased threats, Yohanna denied this claim, calling it an attempt to shift blame. The lack of a clear group claiming responsibility further complicates the situation, with tactical squads and local hunters working to rescue the abducted children.
As the country faces increasing violence, the events at St. Mary’s School have sparked renewed international attention and concern over the safety of Christian institutions in Nigeria. The incident underscores the deepening security crisis and the urgent need for effective measures to protect vulnerable groups in the region.