Pope Leo XIV has appealed for the immediate release of more than 300 students and teachers kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, in Agwarra Local Government Area of Niger State.
During his address after the Angelus prayer on Sunday, the pontiff expressed deep sorrow over the abductions in Nigeria and Cameroon.
“I learned with immense sadness the news of the kidnappings of priests, faithful, and students in Nigeria and Cameroon,” he said. “I make a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages. My thoughts are especially with the many young boys and girls taken away and their anguished families.”
He urged prayers for the victims and emphasized that schools and churches must remain “places of safety and hope.”
The kidnapping occurred in the early hours of Friday. Gunmen—estimated to be in large numbers and riding on more than 60 motorcycles, accompanied by a van—stormed the private Catholic school. They shot the gatekeeper, leaving him critically injured, before breaking into the dormitories and whisking away students and teachers.
Photographs taken inside the school show empty bunk beds and scattered belongings in the wake of the attack.
Local sources said the incident happened between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., noting that the exact number of abducted students was initially unclear. Some teachers were also reportedly taken.
This incident follows another abduction on Monday in Kebbi State, where 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped, as well as an attack on a church in Kwara State that left two people dead and dozens abducted.
The recent spike in attacks on Christian institutions in Nigeria comes amid threats by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has warned of possible military action over what he described as persecution of Christians by radical Islamist groups in the country.
On Saturday, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna—who is also the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese—confirmed that a total of 315 people were abducted, revising earlier reports that put the figure at 227.
He explained that the updated tally followed a thorough verification exercise after parents arrived seeking information about children initially believed to have escaped.
“After further calls and checks, we discovered that 88 more students who attempted to escape were also captured,” he said.
The breakdown shows 303 students (male and female) 12 teachers (4 females, 8 males). The school had a total population of 629 students before the attack, comprising 430 primary pupils and 199 secondary students.
Yohanna also dismissed rumours that the school received prior warnings from security agencies to shut down. “That is not true. We did not receive any circular. It must be an afterthought or an attempt to shift blame,” he said.
He stressed that the school—owned by the Catholic Diocese, not private individuals—had always complied with security advisories in the past and rejected claims that its administrators were negligent.
No member of the Association of Private Schools or the Education Secretariat confirmed receiving any such warning either.
“We are law-abiding,” Yohanna said, assuring parents that the Church is working closely with government and security authorities to ensure the safe return of the abducted students and teachers.
Authorities have not yet released further details on rescue efforts as the situation continues to develop.
