The United States has strongly condemned the recent abductions of students and teachers in Niger and Kebbi states, describing the attacks as unacceptable and urging the Nigerian government to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.
In a statement released on Monday via its X handle, the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs called the kidnappings “acts that must not go unpunished.” It also urged the Federal Government to step up security and protect vulnerable communities, including Christians who continue to face targeted violence.
“The United States condemns the mass abduction of reportedly over 300 students and teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, and the kidnapping, just days before, of 25 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State,” the statement said.
It added that Nigerians deserve to “live, learn, and practice their religion freely without fear.”
The attacks have left families in deep trauma. In Kebbi State, gunmen stormed Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School on November 17, killing the vice principal, Hassan Makuku, and abducting at least 24 schoolgirls.
Four days later, armed men raided St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger State, kidnapping 303 students and 12 teachers. The Christian Association of Nigeria later confirmed the figures after a census of the missing.
Fifty students, however, managed to escape and have since been reunited with their families.
The incidents mark a worrying rise in school-targeted violence reminiscent of the 2014 Chibok abduction that shocked the world.
In response, President Bola Tinubu has ordered intensified rescue operations across affected states. On Thursday, he directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to relocate to Kebbi State to oversee the search for the abducted schoolgirls.
Several state governments, including Niger, Katsina, Plateau, and Bauchi, have also shut down schools as a precautionary measure.
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