Catholic Bishop Scolds Nigerian Government After Mass School Kidnapping

A senior Catholic bishop has sharply criticized the Nigerian government’s failure to protect children and staff abducted from a Catholic school in Niger State, saying the authorities have shown “distance and silence” while parents endure unbearable anguish.

More than 300 pupils and teachers were taken by gunmen from the boarding campus of St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri village. Fifty of the children have managed to escape, but around 253 students and 12 staff remain in captivity.

The bishop accused the government of broken promises and inadequate action, pointing out that governors and ministers visit print-and-press photo-ops while little reaches the families living day by day in fear. He called the kidnapping “not only a failure of security, but a failure of compassion” and challenged security agencies to “move from statements to boots and search-lights” without relighting blame games.

He also warned that the abduction is part of a worrisome national pattern: schools in northern and central Nigeria have been repeatedly targeted by kidnappers over the past decade, with more than 1,500 children seized since 2014.

The bishop urged the government to declare an immediate state of emergency in affected regions, bolster intelligence-sharing, use hostage-rescue task forces instead of ransom negotiations, and ensure all returned children receive psychological and educational care.

Meanwhile, the local community remains paralyzed by fear: boarding schools in neighboring states have closed early, patrols have been increased, and many families are keeping younger children home.

The bishop warned that unless urgent reforms are enacted, Nigeria risks losing not only the safety of its children but the confidence of its citizens in the state’s ability to protect them.

Source: Reuters; Associated Press