Bishop Criticizes Nigeria's Inaction on School Kidnappings

Fri Dec 05 2025 13:51:48 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna calls out the Nigerian government for failing to make significant efforts to rescue over 250 children abducted from St Mary's boarding school.

The Bishop of Niger State, Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, has accused the Nigerian government of not adequately responding to the kidnapping of over 250 children from a Catholic boarding school. The children were abducted by criminal gangs, and while Bishop Yohanna expressed disappointment over the handling of the situation, the police chief countered that the school failed to cooperate in the search efforts. Recent kidnappings have raised concerns about security in Nigeria.

Nigeria's government is making no meaningful effort to rescue more than 250 children abducted from a Catholic boarding school in the central state of Niger last Friday, the main Catholic cleric in the region has told the BBC.

Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna's accusation was disputed by the state's police chief, who accused the school of failing to cooperate with its search and rescue operations.

It is unclear who abducted the children from St Mary's school in Papiri village, but criminal gangs have been involved in kidnappings for ransom across Nigeria.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to intervene militarily in Nigeria if the government fails to stop the killing of Christians.

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, with a large Christian and Muslim population. Its government states that people of all faiths and no faith are victims of insecurity in the country. Militant Islamist groups have also been waging an insurgency, contributing to the ongoing violence.

The Niger state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) reported that 303 students and 12 staff were abducted, while 50 children managed to escape. Bishop Yohanna expressed frustration over the lack of official actions taken to rescue the abducted students, stating that only their names had been recorded.

The situation highlights a broader pattern of insecurity in Nigeria, with increasing attacks prompting closures of schools nationwide. Local authorities are attempting to bolster security at educational institutions in response to these alarming trends.