A senior Catholic cleric in Niger State has accused the Nigerian government of making “no meaningful effort” to rescue more than 250 children abducted from a boarding school in the central region last Friday.
Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who leads the Catholic Church in the state and chairs its chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), told the BBC that the only official action so far had been the compilation of the students’ names.
“I’m not aware of any effort made by government beyond collecting the names of the students from us,” he said. The bishop also dismissed claims by Niger State Governor Umar Bago that the church had ignored government orders to close the school amid threats. “We did not receive any order at any point,” Bishop Yohanna added.
Police Dispute Bishop’s Claims
The Niger State police chief, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, countered the bishop’s criticism, saying that security forces had been deployed to the school and surrounding areas. He noted that a tactical team and members of other security agencies were stationed in the community, with the police headquarters in Agwara town serving as the operational base.
Elleman explained that officers might have temporarily returned to headquarters during media visits and stressed that search operations for the kidnapped children were ongoing. Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, confirmed that intelligence-led operations had been intensified to secure the safe release of the remaining students and staff.
Scope of the Abductions
The school in question, St Mary’s School in Papiri village, saw 303 students and 12 staff abducted, though 50 students managed to escape and have since reunited with their families. The kidnappers have not been formally identified, but criminal gangs targeting schools for ransom are common across Nigeria.
This attack is part of a growing wave of abductions nationwide. In recent days, 24 girls taken from a boarding school in Kebbi State were released, while 38 churchgoers in Kwara State, also kidnapped last week, were freed—though two people were killed in that incident.
The wave of school and church abductions has prompted the closure of many boarding schools and increased security measures at key public sites, particularly in Lagos State, Nigeria’s most populous city.
International Attention
The kidnappings have drawn international concern. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth recently met with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to discuss strategies for combating violence against Christians and curbing extremist groups in West Africa. While the Nigerian government denied allegations of religious persecution, citing criminality and regional conflicts as drivers of insecurity, both nations agreed to establish a working group to strengthen defence and security cooperation.
As insecurity persists, Bishop Yohanna’s criticism underscores the frustrations felt by parents, religious leaders, and communities over the government’s handling of the crisis, while Nigeria continues to grapple with both criminal gangs and militant Islamist insurgencies, particularly in the northeastern states.
