Catholic bishop criticises Nigeria’s response to mass abduction of schoolchildren

Nigeria’s government is facing growing criticism over what church leaders describe as a lack of meaningful action to rescue more than 250 schoolchildren abducted from a Catholic boarding school in Niger state last week. Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, the region’s senior Catholic cleric, told the BBC that authorities had done little beyond compiling a list of the missing students, a claim strongly disputed by police officials.

The children were taken from St Mary’s School in Papiri village, an attack believed to be carried out by criminal gangs known for kidnapping victims for ransom. Nigeria has struggled with repeated mass abductions in recent years, with both criminal groups and Islamist militants contributing to widespread insecurity across the country.

The case has gained international attention after former US President Donald Trump threatened military intervention if attacks on Christians in Nigeria continued. The Nigerian government rejects accusations of religiously targeted violence, insisting that insecurity affects people of all faiths. Officials also note that armed groups with ideological and criminal motives operate in multiple regions, including jihadist organisations active in Borno state, where a senior army general was recently killed.

The United States has also entered discussions with Abuja. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu last week to explore measures to reduce violence against Christians and counter jihadist groups in West Africa. Ribadu’s delegation reportedly rejected claims of state sanctioned persecution, attributing the crisis instead to extremism, criminality and longstanding land related conflicts. Both sides agreed to create a working group to deepen security cooperation.

Local Christian leaders say the scale of the latest attack is alarming. The Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger state reports that 303 students and 12 staff members were seized, though about 50 children have since escaped. Bishop Yohanna, who heads the regional chapter of the association, said the church has not defied any government orders to close the school, contradicting remarks made by the state governor.

Police officials have pushed back at criticism of their response. Niger state police chief Adamu Abdullahi Elleman insisted that adequate personnel were deployed, even though BBC reporters observed only a few officers in the area. He said operational teams were based in a nearby town and continued to move between locations as part of the search effort. The police chief also noted that the school had not formally reported the abduction to his command, a claim the church disputes.

National police chief Kayode Egbetokun said intelligence operations and rescue efforts have been intensified to ensure the safe return of students and staff. His statement came after talks with the state governor, who is under pressure as the kidnapping marks the third major school abduction in Nigeria within a week.

In addition to the Papiri attack, more than twenty Muslim schoolgirls were kidnapped in Kebbi state, and a church attack in Kwara state left two worshippers dead and dozens abducted. President Bola Tinubu cancelled a planned trip to the G20 summit in South Africa to address the crisis and announced that all abducted worshippers in Kwara had been rescued.

The rapid succession of abductions has prompted school closures across multiple states, with worried parents collecting their children early. Lagos authorities say they have increased security at schools, places of worship and other public sites in an effort to prevent further attacks.