Pope's Urgent Appeal for Nigerian Hostages
Pope Leo XIV has made a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of more than 300 hostages taken during mass kidnappings at educational institutions in Nigeria. The pontiff expressed his deep sorrow on Sunday following what has become one of the largest school abduction incidents in the country's recent history.
"I learned with immense sadness the news of the kidnappings of priests, faithful, and students in Nigeria and Cameroon," Pope Leo XIV stated during his address. His comments came as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) confirmed that gunmen had abducted over 300 students and teachers during coordinated raids on two schools.
Wave of Attacks Across Northern Nigeria
The kidnapping crisis began with gunmen storming a secondary school in Kebbi state on Monday, where they abducted 25 girls. This was followed by an early Friday raid on St Mary's co-education school in Niger state, which resulted in the majority of the hostages being taken.
The situation escalated further when attackers targeted a church in western Nigeria, killing two people and abducing dozens more. These coordinated attacks have raised serious security concerns across the nation.
Nigeria continues to bear the scars of the Chibok kidnapping from over a decade ago, when Boko Haram jihadists abducted nearly 300 girls from northeastern Borno state. Some of those victims remain missing to this day, highlighting the persistent nature of this security challenge.
International Response and Human Shield Theory
The mass abductions have drawn international attention, with US President Donald Trump threatening military action over what he described as the persecution of Christians by radical Islamists in Nigeria.
Former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, has suggested that the recent wave of kidnappings may represent a strategic response by bandits to these international threats. Gana believes the criminals are using schoolchildren and villagers as human shields to protect themselves from potential aerial strikes.
"It should become extremely worrying, especially for elders, statesmen, and fathers of the nation, to see younger ones being abducted here and there in various parts of the Federal Republic of Nigeria," Gana stated during a reception in Abuja on Saturday.
The former minister, who is a professor of geography, noted that most recent abductions have occurred near forested corridors, which attackers consider safe zones if aerial military operations intensify.
Pope Leo XIV concluded his appeal with a call to prayer, saying: "Let us pray for these brothers and sisters of ours and that churches and schools may always and everywhere remain places of safety and hope." His words came at the end of the Angelus prayer, emphasizing the global concern over Nigeria's escalating security crisis.
