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Parents Plead for Rescue as Over 250 Children Remain Held After Mass Abduction at Nigerian Catholic School

Hundreds of parents gathered at a Catholic boarding school in Papiri, Niger State, after gunmen seized more than 300 students and staff on Nov. 21. About 50 children escaped, while over 250 remain in captivity. President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency and reinforced security amid repeated mass abductions by armed groups. Families and church leaders are urging faster, clearer action as uncertainty and international tensions grow.

01:01 AM, 11/29/2025Conflict
Parents Plead for Rescue as Over 250 Children Remain Held After Mass Abduction at Nigerian Catholic School

PAPIRI, Niger State, Nigeria — Hundreds of distraught parents gathered at the grounds of a Catholic boarding school on Friday to demand urgent action and updates after gunmen stormed the campus in the early hours of Nov. 21, seizing more than 300 students and staff.

School officials report that roughly 50 children escaped during the attack, while more than 250 remain in captivity. Relatives say they are enduring agonizing uncertainty as they wait for word of their children’s release.

“The children they took, some of them are still of tender age,” said parent Abuchi Nwolisa. “They took some of them from their sleeping bed.”

Government Response and Wider Context

President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency this week and has moved to reinforce policing in parts of the country after a recent rise in violent attacks. The school abduction in Papiri came weeks after gunmen abducted 30 students in Kebbi state; that group was later released by authorities.

Mass kidnappings of schoolchildren have become a recurring crisis in Nigeria, driven by multiple armed groups, including networks that specialize in kidnappings for ransom. Tallying incidents since 2014 shows that thousands of students have been abducted in the country and some have never been freed.

“We have parents who have two, three, five children with the abductors, and that is why we are here to tell the world that this is real,” said Stephen Okafor, spokesperson for the Minna Catholic Mission.

International Tensions

Tensions have intensified after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the possibility of military intervention, citing persecution of Christians. The Nigerian government rejected that framing, saying the security challenges are complex and affect communities across religious lines.

The families at the school continue to wait at the site, pleading for concrete information and decisive action as rescue efforts proceed and negotiations, where relevant, reportedly continue behind the scenes.

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