Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna of Kontagora Diocese has confirmed the deaths of two parents whose children were among those abducted last week.
The bishop confirmed in a statement: “The man, Anthony Musa, died of a heart attack, but regarding the woman, we don’t have the details yet because we couldn’t reach the family.”
The deaths come after more than 300 children and staff from a Catholic school in Niger State in the north of the country were abducted. Police said armed men stormed St Mary’s School shortly after 2am on Friday 21 November, when most pupils were asleep. They forced children and staff into the surrounding forests under the cover of darkness.
This is not the first time schoolchildren have been taken on such a scale. In 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from Chibok, many of whom remain missing. In 2018, 110 girls were seized in Dapchi; all but one, Leah Sharibu, who refused to renounce her Christian faith, were released.
Armed groups also abducted students from Greenfield University in 2021, killing several captives, while in the same year more than 140 pupils were taken from Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna. In 2024, nearly 300 students were abducted in another mass incident in Kaduna State. It is thought that since 2014 more than 1,500 children have been abducted from Nigerian schools.
In a statement, the government said St Mary’s had reopened “without notifying or seeking clearance” and had therefore exposed students and staff to “avoidable risk”. The school has not commented.
Bishop Yohanna publicly rejected claims that warnings had been issued, calling them “an afterthought” and “a way to shift blame”.
Shortly after Friday’s mass abduction, 50 students managed to escape and have reunited with their families, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said in a statement on Sunday. However, the remainder are still in captivity.
Security, particularly for Nigerian Christians, has become a serious concern for the West African country in recent years. US President Donald Trump has ordered the American military to prepare for possible action in Nigeria to protect Christians from Islamist violence, threatening to cut all aid to what he called “the now disgraced country”, adding: “If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!”
Nigeria’s government has been quick to dismiss the idea that Christians are being targeted, pointing out that violence in the country has affected both Muslims and Christians. Daniel Bwala, a spokesman for Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, attempted to explain the President’s comments by suggesting they may be “Trump’s style of going forceful in order to force a sit-down and have a conversation.”
However, the attitude on the ground appears to be one of indignation at the government’s lack of action. Speaking to the Herald, Orazagas Sov, a Christian from Benue State, generally considered the most dangerous state for the faith, said: “Christians are killed every day by Fulani jihadists, and the government isn’t doing anything about it. Trump should come for our rescue.”
Bishop Yohanna has also criticised the government, stating that it is making “no meaningful effort” to have the students safely returned.
The deaths of the two parents are another tragic blow for the attacked Christian community in the country. According to Open Doors, in 2024 Nigeria had the highest number of Christians killed for their faith, with 3,100 Christians killed and 2,830 kidnapped that year.
The Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles, who manage the school, have appealed for global prayers for the safe return of all those taken. Sr Mary T Barron, their congregation leader, said the events had brought “immense anguish” to the sisters and the wider Catholic community. “We believe deeply in the power of unified prayer,” she said, urging Catholics to join them in seeking the protection and release of the children.
(Photo by Ifeanyi Immanuel Bakwenye / AFP via Getty Images)
