Fifty of the 315 children kidnapped by gunmen from a Catholic school in Nigeria's Niger State on Friday have escaped. The Christian Association of Nigeria says they have been reunited with their families. A major military-led search and rescue operation is under way for the remaining 265 children and 12 teachers who were taken with them.
Authorities in several Nigerian states ordered schools to shut following the mass abduction in Niger, as well as a smaller hostage-taking in Kebbi State on Monday when 20 pupils were kidnapped from a boarding school.
In response to a spate of abductions, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu ordered the recruitment of an additional 30,000 police officers.
In another development, 38 people abducted from a church service in Kwara State last week were freed on Sunday, the state governor reported. Tragically, two people were killed during the attack on Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku.
The news of the children's escape has brought relief to families and a nation distressed by the fate of numerous schoolchildren abducted in Nigeria's northwest.
Tinubu has also directed a redeployment of police assigned to Very Important Persons (VIPs) for improved coverage in remote areas prone to attacks, allowing VIPs in need to request armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
According to a Christian group involved in the case, the pupils managed to escape between Friday and Saturday in a brave and risky attempt to flee their captors. The students and teachers were taken from St Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State. Local police confirmed that armed men stormed the school around 2:00 AM, abducting students staying there.
Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bongo announced on Saturday that all schools in the area would close, urging a focus on safety rather than assigning blame.
Calls for the release of the abductees have been echoed by Pope Leo XIV, who expressed 'immense sadness' over the incident and urged swift action from authorities.
Dominic Adamu, who has daughters at the school but who were not taken, stated, 'Everybody is weak... It took everybody by surprise.' One distraught woman tearfully expressed her desperation, saying, 'I just want them to come home.'
The military, police, and local vigilantes are conducting extensive searches for the children, combing through nearby forests and remote routes believed to have been used by the gunmen.
Authorities in Niger State indicated that St Mary’s School ignored a closure order following intelligence warnings of an increased risk of attacks. The school's administration has yet to respond to these claims.
The kidnapping of individuals for ransom by armed gangs, locally referred to as bandits, has become a widespread issue in many areas across Nigeria, and the prohibition of ransom payments has had little effect in curbing this trend.
On Monday, more than 20 schoolgirls were reported kidnapped from a boarding school in Kebbi State, prompting officials there to close all secondary schools and colleges.
The ongoing crisis underscores the urgent need for enhanced security measures and coordinated efforts to protect vulnerable communities from escalating violence.
