More than Fifty Nigerian Schoolchildren Escape Captors, But Over Two Hundred Remain Held Hostage.
Gunmen stormed a school in Niger State on Friday, kidnapping 303 children and 12 teachers. The assault was the latest example of how Islamist militants have exploited schools as targets for mass kidnappings.
Fifty pupils managed to escape their captors, with reports suggesting that they were released between Friday and Saturday. However, over two hundred students remain in captivity.
The Nigerian government has yet to issue a statement on the number of abducted children and teachers. The kidnapping is almost half the student population of 629 at St Mary's co-education school.
Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, urged continued prayers for the rescue and safe return of the remaining victims.
Nigeria has struggled with a spate of mass kidnappings since nearly 300 schoolgirls were kidnapped from Chibok town more than a decade ago. Gunmen often target remote boarding schools where security is weak, making them easy prey.
The two recent abductions in Niger State and an attack on a church in the west of the country have sparked mounting fears over security. In response, US President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Nigeria to combat what he called Christian persecution by radical Islamists.
Meanwhile, Nigerian security forces reportedly rescued 38 people abducted during an attack at Christ Apostolic Church in Kwara State. At least two were killed during the assault.
Gunmen stormed a school in Niger State on Friday, kidnapping 303 children and 12 teachers. The assault was the latest example of how Islamist militants have exploited schools as targets for mass kidnappings.
Fifty pupils managed to escape their captors, with reports suggesting that they were released between Friday and Saturday. However, over two hundred students remain in captivity.
The Nigerian government has yet to issue a statement on the number of abducted children and teachers. The kidnapping is almost half the student population of 629 at St Mary's co-education school.
Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, urged continued prayers for the rescue and safe return of the remaining victims.
Nigeria has struggled with a spate of mass kidnappings since nearly 300 schoolgirls were kidnapped from Chibok town more than a decade ago. Gunmen often target remote boarding schools where security is weak, making them easy prey.
The two recent abductions in Niger State and an attack on a church in the west of the country have sparked mounting fears over security. In response, US President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Nigeria to combat what he called Christian persecution by radical Islamists.
Meanwhile, Nigerian security forces reportedly rescued 38 people abducted during an attack at Christ Apostolic Church in Kwara State. At least two were killed during the assault.
. Who does he think he's gonna send troops to Nigeria? It's not like they're hiding under beds over here waiting for a rescue mission from America... like come on, have some respect for sovereignty, dude! 
, another school taken over by these militant groups... can't believe how vulnerable our kids are in Nigeria right now. I mean, 303 kids and 12 teachers held hostage? That's just not acceptable! 
And what's with all these mass kidnappings? It feels like they're using schools as a way to make headlines instead of actually doing something productive.
Like that's going to solve anything. We need actual solutions, not just empty threats. And Reverend Yohanna is right, continued prayers and all that... but we also need concrete actions from the government and security forces. Can't they do better than this? 
This is getting out of hand...
nigerian gov is being super quiet about it too, shouldnt they be all over this ASAP? 200+ kids are still held hostage, that's like 2 schools worth of students 
US prez trump thinks he can just threaten military action like that, doesnt he know how its gonna affect the situation? nigeria needs to take care of this ASAP, not some foreign leader 
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. It just creates more tension and uncertainty for innocent people.
. We need more support and resources to keep these places safe. And we need to think about the long-term solutions, not just temporary fixes 
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. It's like they just got picked out of thin air. And the fact that there are over two hundred still held hostage is just heartbreaking 
. Can't we just find a way to keep these kids safe? I'm literally worried about what might happen next 
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my heart goes out to the families of the kids who were able to escape, can only imagine how traumatic that must be for them 
like they really think that's gonna solve anything? and what's up with all these school attacks lately? i mean, i know it's a huge problem in nigeria but can't we focus on getting kids back safely instead of just sending troops over? also, did u know that my aunt is actually from nigeria and she always says the roads are super rough there 
. Hopefully those 50 who escaped will help guide the rescue efforts and get their friends and teachers back home soon 
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we gotta keep praying for the rest of them too 
cant believe trump is threatening military action over this though...like what does that even solve ?? 
. Can't someone please, PLEASE do something about this?!
and our leaders can't even tell us what's going on with numbers 
especially after all these years of Chibok kidnappings 
300+ girls still not found 
. The government needs to step up their game and prioritize the safety of these children, not just throw money at it. We can't just be waiting for someone else to save them - we have to take responsibility for our own communities 
... and we know that help is on its way, Nigerian security forces are doing their best to rescue them.