A church official in Nigeria reports that around 50 of the 303 students abducted from a Catholic school earlier this week have escaped and returned to their families. Their return comes as Pope Leo publicly appealed for the immediate release of all remaining hostages, expressing deep sorrow over what has become one of the most significant mass kidnappings in the country’s recent history.
The mass abduction occurred on Friday, when armed men stormed St. Mary’s Catholic school in northwest Nigeria, seizing both students and staff. The attack is the latest in a string of school kidnappings that have pushed authorities to temporarily shut down 47 schools over security fears.
According to the school’s proprietor, Most Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, the children who managed to flee—ages 10 to 18—escaped separately over the course of Friday and Saturday. However, 253 students and 12 teachers remain missing, and details about how the escapes happened remain unclear.
During a mass in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo said he was “deeply saddened” by the spate of kidnappings in both Nigeria and Cameroon, emphasizing the traumatic impact on the young victims and their families. He called for urgent government action to secure the hostages’ release and urged that schools and churches be protected as “places of safety and hope.”
Authorities have not identified the perpetrators behind the St. Mary’s attack. Security forces—including specialized tactical units—are reportedly working with local hunters to track down the kidnappers, a strategy that reflects the limited reach of state resources in many rural areas.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) revised its estimate of the number of abducted students to 315, noting that an additional 88 children were captured after attempting to flee during the attack. This highlights the chaotic nature of the incident and the lack of reliable early information—an ongoing challenge in reporting on crises in remote regions.
Nigeria’s broader security failures have drawn increased global attention, including criticism from foreign leaders. Former U.S. President Donald Trump recently accused Nigeria of persecuting Christians, prompting a defensive response from Nigerian officials who argue that such statements oversimplify the country’s complex mix of criminal violence, ethnic conflict, and governance challenges.
As a precaution, Niger State has now shut down all schools, with Governor Umar Bago citing the need to protect students’ lives amid escalating threats. School abductions have become a notorious hallmark of insecurity in Nigeria, partly because kidnappers view schools as high-impact targets that guarantee national and international attention.
A UNICEF assessment from last year found that only 37% of schools in 10 conflict-affected states had early warning systems to detect potential attacks—underscoring chronic gaps in preparedness and protection.
