In Nigeria, 50 of the more than 300 kidnapped pupils of a Catholic boarding school managed to escape. This was reported by the AP, Reuters and AFP agencies on Sunday, citing the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). Gunmen, according to available information, attacked a school in Agwara Local Government Area on Friday and kidnapped over 300 children and 12 teachers. According to Reuters, Pope Leo called for their immediate release.
More than 250 pupils and all the teachers remain in captivity. The agencies quote the statement of CAN chairman Bulus Dauwa Yohanna. “We got the information when we decided to contact and visit some parents,” he said.
According to an earlier statement from the local police, it is a secondary school, which means that it is intended for children aged 12 to 17 years. However, the man, who identified himself as Dauda Chekula, told the AP that his four grandchildren, aged between seven and ten, were among the abductees.
On Monday, a similar attack took place on a boarding school in the state of Kebbi in the northwest of the country, where gunmen kidnapped 25 girls. It is not yet clear who is behind the attacks.
Also on Tuesday, in a similar incident, gunmen attacked a church in Kwara State. They are now demanding a ransom of 100 million naira (almost 1.5 million crowns) for each of the 38 people kidnapped there.
The attacks again reminded of the uncertain security situation in the West African country, Reuters wrote. On Wednesday, a Nigerian delegation came to Washington for this. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held talks with National Security Adviser and Security Council member Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and his team a day later.
Washington recently added Nigeria to a list of countries the State Department is monitoring for serious violations of religious freedom. In early November, US President Donald Trump threatened military intervention in Nigeria against armed groups if the government there did not prevent attacks against Christians.
In 2014, gunmen from the jihadist organization Boko Haram kidnapped 276 female students in the town of Chibok in Borno State, with most of the girls being from the Christian community.
In some areas of Nigeria, there are also armed criminal groups that the local population calls bandits. They have no political goals and their activities, including mass kidnappings, are motivated only by financial gain, but at the same time they do not oppose cooperation with jihadist groups.
