Fifty of the 315 children kidnapped by gunmen from a Catholic school in Nigeria’s Niger State have managed to escape and have been reunited with their families. A major military-led search is underway for the remaining 265 children and 12 teachers.
The mass abduction from St. Mary’s School in Papiri is one of the largest since the infamous Chibok kidnapping in 2014. In response, authorities in several states have ordered schools to close.
Security Shake-Up and National Anguish
The incident has triggered a significant national security response. President Bola Tinubu has ordered the recruitment of 30,000 new police officers and has redeployed officers from VIP protection duties to bolster security in vulnerable areas.
The news of the escape brought temporary relief to a nation in anguish. “Everybody is weak… It took everybody by surprise,” said one parent. A woman whose two nieces were taken pleaded, “I just want them to come home.”
A Wider Crisis
This kidnapping highlights a severe crisis in Nigeria, where criminal gangs, known as “bandits,” regularly abduct people for ransom. Just days earlier, over 20 schoolgirls were taken from a boarding school in Kebbi state.
Authorities in Niger state have alleged that St. Mary’s School disregarded an order to close its boarding facilities despite intelligence warnings of an attack. The school has not commented on this allegation.
The situation has also drawn international attention, with Pope Leo XIV expressing “immense sadness.” The incident has further fueled a complex debate about religious violence, though analysts note that these kidnappings are largely driven by criminal economics rather than ideology, with both Muslim and Christian communities affected.
By James Kisoo
