Pope Speaks Out as Wave of School Kidnappings Grips Nigeria

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for the immediate release of more than 300 people abducted in a series of mass kidnappings targeting schools in Nigeria, describing the situation as a source of “immense sadness,” according to Vatican News.

Speaking at the end of the Angelus prayer, the Pope said, “I learned with immense sadness the news of the kidnappings of priests, faithful, and students in Nigeria and Cameroon.”

“I make a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages,” 

“Let us pray for these brothers and sisters of ours and that churches and schools may always and everywhere remain places of safety and hope”.

Meanwhile, Fifty of the more than three hundred children abducted from a Catholic school in Niger State have managed to escape their captors, offering a rare moment of relief in an otherwise tragic situation.

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, announced the development on Sunday 23, November 2025 .

According to Daniel Atori, media aide to the CAN Chairman in Niger State, the children escaped between Friday and Saturday and have since reunited with their families.

 Their return only became clear after church officials visited several homes to verify the children’s whereabouts.

The abduction incident happened at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwarra Local Government Area.

The school has a large population of boarders. Out of 430 pupils in the primary section alone, 377 stay in the school.

 CAN explained that beyond the 50 who escaped, another 141 pupils were confirmed not to have been taken during the attack.

But the numbers paint a grim picture: at least 236 primary pupils, along with three children of staff members, fourteen secondary school students, and twelve staff are still in captivity—bringing the total number of abductees to 253.

Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, the CAN Chairman in the state and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese,  has urged the public to remain calm.

He called for prayers and assured families that efforts were underway in collaboration with security agencies, community leaders, and government authorities to secure the safe return of the remaining victims.