The US has condemned the abduction of students and teachers in Niger State, as well as the earlier kidnapping of schoolgirls in Kebbi State.
In a statement released on Monday via its X handle, the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs described the attacks as acts that must not go unpunished and urged the Federal Government to bring the perpetrators to justice.
It also called on the government to strengthen security measures and guarantee the safety of vulnerable communities, including Christian populations.
It wrote, “The United States condemns the mass abduction of reportedly over 300 students and teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, Nigeria, and the kidnapping, just days before, of 25 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State.
“Those responsible for these crimes must be swiftly captured and held accountable. The Nigerian government must act decisively and do more to protect Christians and ensure Nigerians can live, learn, and practice their religion freely without fear or terror.”
Chronicle NG reports that gunmen on November 17 stormed Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, killing the vice principal, Hassan Makuku, and abducting at least 24 female students.
Four days later, gunmen raided St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, abducting 303 students and 12 teachers.
Initial estimates varied, but the Christian Association of Nigeria later validated the findings with a census of missing people.
Fifty students escaped and reunited with their families.
The abductions indicate a spike in school-targeted violence in Nigeria, echoing Boko Haram’s 2014 kidnapping of 276 girls in Chibok.
In response, the federal government launched rescue efforts in several states.
On Thursday, President Bola Tinubu asked Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence, to relocate to Kebbi State to coordinate security efforts for the abducted schoolgirls’ rescue.
The governments of Niger, Katsina, Plateau, and Bauchi have also ordered the closure of other schools to avert further incidents.
