Dozens of kidnapped schoolchildren have managed to escape their captors in northwest Nigeria, as Pope Leo issued a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of those still being held.
Mass Kidnapping at Catholic School
Gunmen stormed St Mary's school on Friday, seizing hundreds of students and teachers in one of the worst mass kidnappings ever recorded in Nigeria. The attack represents the latest in a series of school assaults that has prompted authorities to close 47 educational institutions across the region.
According to church officials, at least 50 of the 303 abducted children have successfully escaped and been reunited with their families. The Most Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, proprietor of the school, confirmed the children aged between 10 and 18 escaped individually between Friday and Saturday.
Pope's Emotional Appeal from Vatican
Speaking from St Peter's Square at the end of mass, Pope Leo expressed his profound distress over the situation. "I feel great pain, especially for the many young men and women who have been abducted and for their anguished families," the Pope stated.
He made a direct appeal for the immediate release of all hostages and urged authorities to take appropriate and timely decisions to ensure their safe return. The Pope emphasised that churches and schools should remain places of safety and hope for communities.
Ongoing Crisis and Security Response
The scale of the kidnapping has become increasingly alarming. The Christian Association of Nigeria revised its initial estimate, now confirming that 315 people were taken from the school after 88 additional students were discovered missing during a verification exercise.
Current figures indicate that 253 schoolchildren and 12 teachers remain in captivity. Authorities have deployed tactical squads alongside local hunters in rescue efforts, though no group has yet claimed responsibility for the abductions.
Niger state governor Umar Bago announced the closure of all schools in the area to prevent further kidnappings, stating the decision was necessary to protect lives and property.
The incident has drawn international attention to Nigeria's security challenges, particularly following recent comments from US President Donald Trump regarding the treatment of Christians in the country. School kidnappings have become a defining feature of the insecurity plaguing Africa's most populous nation, with armed gangs increasingly targeting educational institutions as strategic locations to attract attention.
