Pope Leo urged the immediate release of more than three hundred children and staff abducted from a Catholic school in northwest Nigeria, describing the mass kidnapping as a source of deep sorrow for families and communities already battered by rising insecurity.
The appeal came after the Christian Association of Nigeria confirmed that at least three hundred and fifteen people were taken from St. Mary’s School on Friday, following a fresh count carried out on Saturday. It is one of the largest school abductions recorded in the country and the latest in a wave of attacks that has prompted authorities to close dozens of colleges.
Speaking to worshippers at the end of mass in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo said he was troubled by reports of abductions in both Nigeria and Cameroon. He said the plight of young people held against their will weighed heavily on his heart. “I was deeply saddened to learn of the kidnappings of priests, faithful, and students in Nigeria and Cameroon. I feel great pain, especially for the many young men and women who have been abducted and for their anguished families,” he said.
He called for immediate action. “I make a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages and urge the competent authorities to take appropriate and timely decisions to ensure their release,” he told the crowd.
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The Pope also asked worshippers to pray that churches and schools remain places of “safety and hope”.
School abductions have grown increasingly common in several northern states, where armed groups target boarding facilities for ransom. According to Reuters and BBC reporting, attackers have raided multiple schools in recent days, prompting the government to shut forty seven institutions while security forces launch search operations.
Local officials say armed groups stormed St. Mary’s School early on Friday morning and forced students and teachers into nearby forests. Search efforts continue, though authorities have released few operational details.
CAN revised its figures from two hundred and twenty seven to three hundred and fifteen after checking school registers and speaking with families.
Security agencies have faced mounting public pressure to recover the victims unharmed. The government has not given a timeline for rescue operations, though officials say efforts are ongoing.
The kidnapping has reignited broader concerns about safety in schools, an issue that gained worldwide attention in 2014 after the Chibok abduction, when more than two hundred girls were taken from a boarding school in Borno State.
Authorities in the northwest have tightened patrols around other educational centres as families wait anxiously for news from St. Mary’s.