Hundreds of distressed parents returned on Friday to the grounds of the Catholic school in Papiri, north-central Niger State, where their children were seized last week. They gathered to urge the government to take swift action to free the hostages.
Armed men raided the school at dawn on November 21, abducting more than 300 students and staff members. School officials reported that roughly 50 children escaped, leaving over 250 still being held by the attackers. Families say they remain in agony as they await any news of their loved ones.
Some of the children are extremely young, said Abuchi Nwolisa, whose child attends the school. They were taken right from their beds.
Earlier this week, President Bola Tinubu declared a national state of emergency and reinforced police operations in response to a surge in violent attacks across the country. The kidnapping in Papiri is one of two large-scale school abductions in recent weeks; in Kebbi State, gunmen seized 30 students before authorities secured their release.
Mass kidnappings of schoolchildren have become a recurring threat in Nigeria, driven by various armed groups that often target students for ransom. According to an Associated Press tally, at least 1,799 students have been abducted in more than a dozen major incidents since 2014, and some victims have never been recovered.
Some parents have two, three, even five children in captivity, said Stephen Okafor, spokesperson for the Minna Catholic Mission. We are here to show the world that this is the harsh reality we are facing.
