According to the BBC, the attack took place on Friday, November 21, at around 2.00 a.m. Armed perpetrators broke into the Catholic boarding school of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Papiri and kidnapped people staying there. According to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), 303 students and 12 teachers were kidnapped. This means that the Papiri kidnapping surpasses in terms of the number of victims the attack on a school in Chibok in 2014, when the extremist Islamist organization Boko Haram abducted 276 girls.
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How many people have been kidnapped in Nigeria?
When did the school attack in Nigeria occur?
What do the Niger State authorities say about the previous warnings?
What other kidnappings have occurred in Nigeria recently?
Niger State authorities stressed that the school ignored earlier intelligence warnings and an order to close its dormitories, which, according to an official statement, exposed children and staff to unnecessary risk. The school did not respond to these allegations.
This is the second mass kidnapping in Nigeria in the last week. On Monday, more than 20 schoolgirls were abducted from a Muslim boarding school in neighboring Kebbi state. In turn, in Kwara state, after an attack on a church, two people were killed and 38 were kidnapped. Some schools and universities in the country have been closed.
Another mass kidnapping in Nigeria
Kidnappings for ransom committed by local gangs have become a serious challenge for the Nigerian authorities. According to the BBC, despite the introduction of a ban on paying ransoms, this practice has not been stopped. In recent years, the number of such incidents has increased significantly, and students and teachers are increasingly becoming victims.
Mass kidnappings in Nigeria spark sharp international reactions. In recent months, American politicians, including President Donald Trump, have accused the Nigerian government of tolerating the persecution of Christians. Trump even announced the possibility of sending troops to Nigeria if the authorities do not stop attacks on Christians.
The Nigerian government has firmly rejected these allegations, calling them a “gross distortion of reality.” The authorities emphasize that terrorists attack everyone who does not accept their ideology – both Muslims, Christians and non-believers. According to humanitarian organizations, most of the victims of jihadist groups such as Boko Haram are Muslims in the north of the country, because that is where most of the attacks occur.
In the center of the country, there are also bloody conflicts between shepherds, who are mostly Muslims, and farmers, mostly Christians. Experts point out, however, that these disputes often result from competition for resources such as land or access to water, and not for religious reasons.
