Catholic bishop hits out at Nigeria’s failure to rescue abducted schoolchildren

A Catholic bishop in Nigeria has accused the government of making no meaningful effort to rescue over 250 schoolchildren abducted from a boarding school in Niger state, while police deny the claims and blame the school for lack of cooperation. The abduction occurred last Friday when gunmen stormed St Mary’s Catholic boarding school in Papiri village, Niger state, seizing hundreds of pupils and staff. This incident is the latest in a surge of kidnappings by armed groups across Nigeria, highlighting the country’s deepening security crisis. Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who leads the Catholic church in the region and chairs the local Christian Association of Nigeria, expressed frustration in an interview with the BBC. He stated that the only action taken by authorities has been to compile a list of the abducted children, with no visible rescue operations underway. In response, Niger state police chief Adamu Abdullahi Elleman disputed the bishop’s allegations, asserting that a tactical police team and other security agencies are actively deployed in the area. He accused the school management of failing to cooperate with the search efforts, claiming they had not reported the incident to his command. Amid the turmoil, approximately 50 children managed to escape their captors and have been reunited with their families. However, the Christian Association of Nigeria reports that 303 students and 12 staff members were initially taken, leaving over 250 still in captivity, according to church officials. The kidnapping is part of a broader pattern of insecurity in Nigeria, where criminal gangs often abduct people for ransom, and militant Islamist groups wage insurgencies in the northeast. Recent weeks have seen multiple mass abductions, including at schools in Kebbi and Kwara states, though some victims have been released. President Bola Tinubu canceled his attendance at the G20 summit in South Africa to address the security crisis domestically. His administration has emphasized that all citizens, regardless of religion, are affected by the violence, countering claims of religious persecution. International concerns have grown, with U.S. officials engaging in talks with Nigerian security advisers to enhance cooperation on combating terrorism and protecting vulnerable communities. These discussions come amid global attention on the safety of Christians in Nigeria, though the government denies any state-sanctioned bias. The ongoing kidnappings have forced the closure of many boarding schools across Nigeria, as parents rush to retrieve their children amid fears of further attacks. Authorities in states like Lagos are bolstering security at educational institutions and other key sites, while efforts continue to secure the release of the remaining abducted pupils from St Mary’s school.