Fifty children taken in a mass abduction at a Catholic boarding school in Nigeria have escaped, offering a rare moment of relief in a country shaken by another large-scale kidnapping.
The group was among 315 pupils seized from St Mary’s School in Niger State early on Friday. Church officials say the children who fled have since been reunited with their families. But more than 260 pupils, along with 12 teachers, remain missing, and a military-led search is under way across forests and remote routes used by armed groups.
The abduction, one of the largest in years, has prompted several Nigerian states to order immediate school closures. The shutdown follows not only the Niger attack but also the kidnapping of 20 pupils from a boarding school in Kebbi State on Monday.
President Bola Tinubu has responded with a sweeping security directive. He has ordered the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers and told officers assigned to protect high-profile individuals to return to frontline duties. Those in need of security support, he said, may instead request personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The escape of the 50 children, confirmed by a Christian organisation assisting families, is being described locally as a desperate but courageous bid for freedom. The group is believed to have fled their captors between Friday and Saturday.
The attack on St Mary’s may be the country’s most significant school abduction since Boko Haram seized 276 girls from Chibok in 2014, an incident that triggered global outrage and a worldwide campaign for their return. While some Chibok girls have escaped or been freed, around 100 remain missing.
Local police say armed men stormed St Mary’s at around 2 a.m., targeting pupils sleeping in dormitories. Shoes and clothing were left scattered across bunk beds in the rush to flee or hide.
Niger State’s governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, ordered all schools to close, warning residents that “this is not a time for blame”. State officials later alleged that St Mary’s had ignored earlier instructions to suspend boarding activities after intelligence warnings of a heightened risk.
The anguish among families is deep. Dominic Adamu, whose daughters attend the school but were not abducted, told the media, “Everybody is weak… It took everybody by surprise,” he said.
Pope Leo XIV added his voice to calls for action, expressing “immense sadness” and urging Nigerian authorities to secure the release of all abductees.
The crisis comes as Nigeria grapples with a rise in kidnappings carried out by loosely organized criminal groups known locally as bandits. The kidnappers often demand ransom, though payments have been outlawed in an attempt to limit funding for armed groups. That measure has had little visible impact.
Meanwhile, attacks across Nigeria continue to expose a complex mix of security challenges. In Kwara State, 38 worshippers abducted from a church service last week were freed on Sunday. Two people were killed in the attack.
These incidents have reignited debate over the motives behind such violence. Some foreign commentators, including figures in the United States, have claimed that Christians are being targeted systematically.
Speaking in an interview recorded on Tuesday in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, the Pope Leo XIV told the Catholic News Agency that insecurity in Nigeria affects all people regardless of their faith.
“In certain areas, there is certainly a danger for Christians, but for all people. Christians and Muslims have been slaughtered,” Pope said.
He attributed the unrest to a mix of terrorism, economic strain, and long-standing disputes over land.
“There’s a question of terrorism, there’s a question that has to do a lot with economics and control of the lands that they have,” he explained.
Pope’s comments come at a time of renewed debate over the nature of Nigeria’s insecurity. Violence across the country has killed thousands in recent years, with attacks carried out by jihadist groups, armed criminal gangs, and militias involved in local land conflicts.
He urged Nigerian authorities to do more to improve safety and uphold basic freedoms.
“Unfortunately, many Christians have died, I think it’s important to seek a way for the government, with all peoples, to promote authentic religious freedom,” he said.
His remarks follow controversy surrounding Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, who last month said Nigeria’s turmoil was not a religious conflict but rather a social conflict between herders and farmers. The comments made at the launch of a global religious freedom report, drew criticism from groups who accused him of echoing official government positions.
Parolin later emphasised that extremist groups in Nigeria also target Muslims.
“Many Muslims who come to Nigeria are victims of this intolerance. Such groups make no distinctions in their attacks,” he said.
Pope Leo XIV again highlighted Nigeria on Sunday in a broader message about global threats to Christian communities.
“In various parts of the world, Christians suffer discrimination and persecution. I think especially of Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique, Sudan. God desires peace among all His children!” he wrote on X.
His latest statements come as U.S. President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, citing allegations of Christian genocide.
The Nigerian government has strongly rejected this characterization, calling it a gross misrepresentation of reality. Officials say extremist groups attack Muslims, Christians, and those of no faith alike.
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