Approximately 100 children who were kidnapped from a Catholic school in central Nigeria last month have been released, as confirmed by local authorities. Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, the police chief of Niger state, along with Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who oversees the school as the local Catholic community leader, informed that they received confirmation regarding the students’ freedom.
Officials from the government’s Office of the National Security Adviser have stated that the children will be reunited with their families starting Monday. This incident is part of a disturbing trend of mass abductions that has alarmed the nation.
Details of the children’s release remain unclear
The specifics surrounding the release of the schoolchildren are not fully transparent. Questions remain about whether their freedom was negotiated or achieved through force, and whether any ransoms were paid to secure their release. Abdullahi Sule, the governor of neighboring Nasarawa state, indicated that the federal government played a crucial role in facilitating their return, although he kept the details of the efforts confidential for security reasons.
Last week, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu visited Papiri and met with a delegation led by Bishop Yohanna. He assured them that the children would soon be rescued and returned to their families.
Increasing attacks on educational and religious institutions
Schools and places of worship have increasingly become targets in the ongoing wave of violence in north and central Nigeria. The assault on St Mary’s occurred on November 21, shortly after a series of mass kidnappings. On November 18, two individuals were killed, and 38 were abducted during an attack on the Christ Apostolic Church in Kwara state. Just a day before, two were killed, and 25 Muslim students were taken from the Government Girls’ Secondary School in Kebbi state. Fortunately, all individuals taken in these attacks have since been released.
In a separate incident last week, gunmen kidnapped at least 20 people in two attacks: one at a newly established church in central Kogi state, where a pastor, his wife, and several worshipers were taken, and another in predominantly Muslim northern Sokoto state, where a bride and her bridesmaids were among those abducted. The identity of the perpetrators remains unclear. Many analysts suspect that these kidnappings are orchestrated by criminal gangs seeking ransom payments, although a presidential spokesman has suggested that jihadist groups might be involved.
Despite the Nigerian government’s ban on ransom payments as a strategy to undermine these criminal enterprises, it is widely believed that money is still exchanged in many cases. The ongoing security crisis in Nigeria gained international attention last month when US President Donald Trump threatened military intervention if the government “continues to allow the killing of Christians.” However, Nigerian officials and analysts argue that individuals of all faiths suffer from the violence and kidnapping, countering the narrative that Christians are specifically targeted.