St. Mary’s School, a Catholic institution in Nigeria, recently experienced a grave attack by armed assailants, resulting in the abduction of 303 children and 12 teachers. Initially, reports suggested that only 52 individuals were taken, but that number quickly escalated over time.
Pastor Brus Dawwa Johanna explained that the final tally was confirmed following a verification process. As president of the Niger State branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), he visited the school on Friday. The detained students, marked by their ages ranging from 10 to 18, included both boys and girls.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for this attack. Local authorities reported that tactical teams and community hunters were mobilizing to rescue those who were taken.
In the aftermath, the state government claimed St. Mary’s School had reopened, but Johanna refuted this, stating there hadn’t been any formal communication regarding such a decision. He seemed to suggest that the announcement was an attempt to deflect responsibility.
This attack on St. Mary’s follows a similar incident just days earlier, where armed men kidnapped 25 girls from a boarding school in Kebbi state, tragically resulting in the death of at least one staff member. The search for those girls is ongoing.
The situation has raised alarm bells regarding the safety of Christians in Nigeria, prompting concerns from international figures, including U.S. officials. Recently, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Walz, categorized the violence against Christians in Nigeria as “genocide disguised as chaos.” During an event discussing these issues, he was joined by the well-known rapper Nicki Minaj, who advocated for religious freedom.
