Abuja: Parents and community members in northern Nigeria are growing increasingly angry and desperate as the search continues for hundreds of school children who were kidnapped two weeks ago from St Mary’s Catholic Boarding School in Papiri village in Niger State.
The attack happened on November 21, when armed men stormed the school and abducted students and staff. Around 50 children managed to escape soon after the incident, but more than 250 others are still missing. Church officials had earlier said that 303 students and 12 staff members were taken. However, officials are still verifying the exact number because many families live in remote villages with limited communication and transportation.
Parents say they are frustrated by the lack of clear updates from authorities. Many travelled long distances to government offices and police posts, hoping for information, but most say they received none. Some accuse officials of not taking the situation seriously enough, while others fear their children may already have been moved far from the area.
Police and military personnel have been deployed in the region, and the government has announced a security emergency. Officials also said they are recruiting more officers to strengthen protection in vulnerable areas. However, many communities say they still feel unsafe, and schools in several northern states have closed as a precaution. Reports suggest that more than twenty thousand schools have stopped classes because parents are afraid to send children back.
No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, and there have been no confirmed ransom demands. This has added to the anxiety of waiting families, who say uncertainty is the hardest part.
Nigeria has faced repeated mass school kidnappings over the past decade. Human rights groups estimate that more than one thousand eight hundred students have been taken since 2014.
Community leaders and church representatives are now calling for faster action, support for families, and better protection of schools. Many parents continue to gather near police stations and government buildings, holding photos of their children and praying for their safe return.
For now, the wait continues, and families say they will not stop demanding answers until every child comes home.