More than 300 students were kidnapped from a Catholic school in Nigeria, and fifty of them have now escaped and reached their families, according to officials. The incident has prompted schools in the state to remain closed as the authorities investigate the attack. The Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger state, stated that the students, aged 10 to 18, escaped individually between Friday and Saturday, and that they were able to contact families to confirm their status.
Pope Francis, during a mass in St. Peter’s Square, expressed his sorrow over the incident, emphasizing the pain of the families and calling for the immediate release of the remaining hostages. He urged the Nigerian government to take decisive action to secure the safety of the remaining students and teachers. The Associated Press reported that no group has publicly claimed responsibility for the attack, and authorities are working with tactical squads and local hunters to locate the remaining children.
The attack at St. Mary’s school follows a string of incidents targeting Christians and their institutions in Nigeria. On April 5, armed men kidnapped 25 girls from a boarding school in Kebbi State, killing at least one staff member. The search for the missing girls is ongoing. Additionally, 38 worshippers kidnapped during a deadly church attack in central Nigeria’s Kwara State have been freed, but the safety of the remaining hostages is still unclear. Authorities have not disclosed details about the locations where the missing students and teachers are being held.
President Donald Trump has criticized the Nigerian government’s handling of the situation, calling the West African nation a ‘country of particular concern’ and threatening to withhold aid unless conditions improve. The Nigerian government has disputed the U.S. administration’s claims, accusing the White House of politicizing the crisis. Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has closed several federal colleges in conflict-prone areas across the region, raising concerns about the impact on education.
As the situation unfolds, the Nigerian government and international actors are under pressure to take decisive action to address the crisis and ensure the safety of all hostages. The ongoing instability in the region has drawn attention from both local and international communities, highlighting the growing threat of violence against religious institutions in Nigeria.