Bishop Critiques Nigerian Government's Response to Abduction of Schoolchildren

Fri Dec 05 2025 04:23:08 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna calls out the Nigerian government's lack of effective action in rescuing over 250 schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary's school, as tensions rise over security failures.

Bishop Yohanna has accused the Nigerian government of making no meaningful efforts to rescue over 250 children taken from a Catholic boarding school in Niger state. His comments come amidst rising concerns over security forces' efficacy in addressing the ongoing spate of kidnappings across Nigeria, which have intensified fear among parents and guardians.

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.

U.S. 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 state in Africa, with a large Christian and Muslim population.

The Niger state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) states that 303 students and 12 staff members were abducted from the school, though 50 children managed to escape.

Bishop Yohanna, who leads the Catholic Church in the region, expressed frustration over the lack of progress, saying, I'm not aware of any effort made by government beyond collecting the names of the students from us. He also refuted allegations made by state officials regarding the church defying an order to close the school.

As the abduction crisis deepens, displaced parents are rushing to bring their children home, and calls for increased security measures at schools grow amidst rising fears over safety.