A rare piece of good news from Nigeria, just days before Christmas, is that all remaining students and teachers abducted by militants from St Mary’s Catholic School in Niger state last month have been released.
In total 218 students and 12 teachers were kidnapped during the 21 November attack. Earlier reports placed the number of abductees at over 300, however this was due to parents of children who had escaped not notifying the authorities.
A Nigerian presidential aide announced that a “military-intelligence driven operation” had led to the release of the prisoners. No further details have been made available, like whether any ransoms or terms were agreed to secure the release, or whether any of the militants have been captured or killed.
Anti-Christian violence in Nigeria led the country’s president to last month declare a state of emergency and a rapid beefing up of the security forces.
Christmas can be a particularly dangerous time for Nigeria's Christians. In 2023 hundreds were killed in coordinated attacks in what became known as the Christmas Eve massacres. Earlier this year Catholic bishop Wilfred Anagbe warned that massacres during Christian festivals were becoming “customary” in parts of the country.
Throughout December a number of attacks have already taken place. At least 20 people have been killed and a similar number abducted in at least six different locations.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), which is working with people on the ground, welcomed the release of the Catholic school pupils.
Scot Bower, the group’s CEO, welcomed the outcome but called for more security to protect Christians over the festive season, and continued efforts to secure the freedom of other kidnapping victims.
“CSW is relieved that every pupil and teacher who was abducted from St Mary’s Catholic School in Niger state has been released unharmed; however, we remain concerned by the plight of the abducted ECWA church members in Kogi, who include very small children, and of members of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba Town, also in Kogi State, who have been held in forests for almost three weeks," he said.
“CSW echoes the appeal for relevant State and Federal authorities to redouble efforts to secure their freedom, and the release of others in every state who remain in the hands of armed non-state actors whose activities are finally recognised as amounting to terrorism.
"We also reiterate the call for security measures to be put in place to ensure protection for churches, Christian communities, and particularly, for vulnerable IDPs over the festive season.”
