At least 50 children abducted from a Catholic school in Nigeria have escaped their captors, a Christian group said on Sunday. Gunmen seized 303 children and 12 teachers during a Friday raid on St Mary’s school in Niger state, marking one of Nigeria’s largest mass kidnappings.
The attack followed the abduction of 25 girls from a secondary school in neighbouring Kebbi state earlier in the week. Gunmen also stormed a church in Kwara state on Tuesday, interrupting worship with gunfire and killing two people before fleeing with 38 hostages.
President Bola Tinubu said security forces later rescued the abducted worshippers, announcing the operation on his X account. The Christian Association of Nigeria said 50 St Mary’s pupils had escaped and returned to their families, offering rare relief amid the crisis.
Tinubu said 51 of the missing Catholic school students had been recovered, vowing that his government would “secure this nation and protect our people”. Nigeria’s worsening security crisis has forced widespread school closures, especially in remote areas vulnerable to armed gangs.
Mass kidnappings have surged since Boko Haram abducted nearly 300 schoolgirls from Chibok more than a decade ago, with ransom-seeking groups repeatedly targeting schools. Pope Leo XIV expressed “deep sorrow” over the recent abductions and urged the immediate release of all hostages during his Sunday Angelus prayer.
The attacks drew global attention as US President Donald Trump warned of possible military action, calling the situation in Nigeria “a disgrace”. In Kebbi state, nearly a week after their abduction, two dozen girls remain missing, with security forces having identified possible holding sites.
Meanwhile, 13 women and girls were kidnapped in Borno state on Saturday, in a region long scarred by militant violence linked to the Sambisa forest. Activist Aisha Yesufu said kidnappings persist because authorities “are doing nothing” to stem the growing wave of abductions.