POPE Leo XIV has called for the immediate release of the schoolgirls kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwarra Local Government Area of Niger State.
The Pope made the appeal at the conclusion of a mass at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday.
“I was deeply saddened to learn of the kidnappings of priests, faithful, and students in Nigeria and Cameroon. I feel great pain, especially for the many young men and women who have been abducted and for their anguished families,” Pope Leo said.
He continued, “I make a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages and urge the competent authorities to take appropriate and timely decisions to ensure their release.”
Pope Leo also encouraged Christians to pray for Nigeria, saying, “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.”
Bbefore dawn on November 17, 2025, gunmen attacked Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State.
The attackers killed the vice principal and abducted 25 schoolgirls, in a chilling echo of previous mass kidnappings in Chibok and Dapchi.
During the attack, a teacher lost her life trying to protect the students, while a security guard later succumbed to gunshot wounds in hospital.
Hussaini Aliyu, an official of Danko Wasagu council, told the BBC on November 19 that two of the abducted girls managed to escape.
“The girls ran away across farmland as their armed captors were leading them into the bushes,” he said, adding that one of the girls required medical treatment after injuring her leg. “The girls were back and are safe,” he confirmed.
Efforts to rescue the students have been ongoing, with soldiers, police, and volunteers combing forested areas.
However, in a new incident, gunmen attacked St. Mary’s Papiri Private Catholic Secondary School in Niger State in the early hours of Friday, November 21, abducting scores of students and teachers. This marks the second mass kidnapping in the country within a week.
Local sources reported that the attackers arrived between 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. on more than 60 motorcycles and a van, shooting the school’s gatekeeper and leaving him seriously injured. The state government has yet to confirm the number of students abducted.
Following the Kebbi abduction, the Senate on November 19 demanded that President Bola Tinubu investigate the misuse and poor implementation of the N144.7 billion Special Security Initiative (SSI), pointing out that schools in high-risk areas remain vulnerable without perimeter fences, CCTV, early warning systems, armed patrols, or emergency evacuation plans.
The Nigerian Senate’s demand highlights the widespread concern that political assurances have not translated into concrete protection for children, especially girls.
In response to the rising threats, the Director of Senior Secondary Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Binta Abdulkadir, ordered the immediate closure of all 41 Unity Schools nationwide. Similarly, the Plateau, Katsina, Taraba, Adamawa, and Niger State governments directed the shutdown of all basic schools over the weekend as a precautionary measure.
