In Nigeria, armed individuals abducted numerous students and staff members from a school early on Friday, marking the latest assault on a Christian institution.
Nigerian news outlet Arise TV reported that 52 children were taken from St. Mary’s School. This Catholic establishment is located in the Papiri community of Agwara local government, according to reports, which cited Abubakar Usman, the secretary to the Niger state government. The outlet further stated that Usman did not specify the exact number of children kidnapped in the incident.
The Niger State Police Command confirmed that military and security forces were deployed to the area where the attack occurred in the early hours of Friday, as reported by the AP. Additionally, the Niger State Police Command noted that St. Mary’s provides education for students aged 12–17.
A security staff member sustained severe gunshot wounds during the attack, according to the AP, which referenced a statement released by the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora.
Following the attack, Usman issued a statement condemning the abductions and indicating that St. Mary’s had decided to reopen despite receiving prior security intelligence warnings of increased threats.
“Regrettably, St. Mary’s School proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the State Government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk,” the statement read.
The assault at St. Mary’s follows a similar incident earlier this week, in which armed assailants abducted 25 girls from a boarding school in Nigeria’s Kebbi State and killed at least one staff member. The search for the missing schoolgirls remains ongoing.
On Wednesday, gunmen attacked the Christ Apostolic Church, killing at least two individuals and abducting the pastor along with 38 worshippers, as per Reuters. A video of the attack, reviewed and verified by Reuters, showed armed men entering the church and seizing belongings from worshippers while gunshots were heard. The news agency later reported that a church official stated the gunmen demanded a ransom of 100 million naira (roughly $69,000) per worshipper.
Nigeria has experienced a series of attacks targeting Christians, prompting a U.S. President to declare the West African nation a “country of particular concern” regarding the persecution of Christians. However, the Nigerian government has disputed these claims made by the U.S.
On Tuesday, Mike Waltz, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, hosted an event to highlight the ongoing violence in Nigeria. During this event, Waltz described the situation as “genocide wearing the mask of chaos.”
“Folks, we have an entire faith that is being erased, one bullet at a time, one torched Bible at a time,” Waltz stated.
A rap superstar, who has been vocal about her support for the Trump administration’s efforts to combat the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, spoke at Waltz’s event. This artist lamented that “families have been torn apart, and entire communities live in fear constantly, simply because of how they pray.”
Ashley Carnahan and Paul Tilsley of Digital contributed to this report.