Remnant Recap

• Crisis fueled by weak governance: Nigeria’s rampant kidnappings show what happens when government abandons its duty to protect its people.

• Faith community under siege: Catholic schools and churches remain prime targets as criminals exploit regions with little security presence.

• Families left carrying the burden: With ransoms common and arrests rare, everyday Nigerians end up paying the price for government failure.

Nigeria is facing heartbreaking turmoil as families cling to hope following the mass abduction of Catholic schoolchildren. Fifty of the 303 students taken from St. Mary’s School have escaped and are now safely back with their parents, but 253 children and 12 teachers remain in the hands of violent kidnappers.

Christian leaders are pleading for prayer, action, and protection for these innocent children. The pope expressed “great sorrow” as attacks on schools and churches continue to devastate Christian communities.

In a nation where ransom-driven kidnappings have skyrocketed, weak governance and poor security leave innocent families paying the price. It is a tragic reminder of what happens when government fails its most basic duty.

CBN reports:

Fifty of the 303 schoolchildren abducted from a Catholic school in north-central Nigeria’s Niger state have escaped captivity and are now with their families, the school authority said Sunday, as the pope called for the immediate release of those still missing.

The schoolchildren, aged between 10 and 18, escaped individually between Friday and Saturday, according to the Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger state and the proprietor of the school.

A total of 253 schoolchildren and 12 teachers are still being held by the kidnappers, Yohanna said in a statement. “We were able to ascertain this when we decided to contact and visit some parents,” he added.

…

The ambush occurred on Saturday in Sabon Sara village located in the Darazo area of Bauchi state, police spokesperson Ahmed Muhammed Wakil said in a statement.

The Niger state pupils and students were seized together with their teachers by gunmen who attacked the St. Mary’s School, a Catholic institution in Niger state’s remote Papiri community, on Friday.

“As much as we receive the return of these 50 children that escaped with some sigh of relief, I urge you all to continue in your prayers for the rescue and safe return of the remaining victims,” Yohanna said.

Pope Leo XIV called for the immediate release of the schoolchildren and staff of the school, saying at the end of a mass in St. Peter’s square on Sunday that he was “deeply saddened” by the incident.

“I feel great sorrow, especially for the many girls and boys who have been abducted and for their anguished families,” the pontiff said. “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.”

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