Abuja: The Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA) have issued a renewed and urgent appeal to the international community, calling for decisive action to secure the release of 165 students and staff from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, north-central Nigeria, who remain in captivity nearly four weeks after their abduction.
In a press statement shared with Vatican News, the OLA Sisters expressed deep anguish over the continued detention of children some as young as five years old and school staff who were seized during a violent overnight raid on November 21. The prolonged captivity has plunged families, the local community, and the entire OLA Congregation into fear and uncertainty.
The abduction occurred in the early hours of November 21, when an armed group stormed the school compound and forcibly took 265 students and staff members from their dormitories. The victims included nursery, primary, and secondary school children, along with members of the school staff.
St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools are managed by the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles and owned by the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, which falls under the Kaduna Ecclesiastical Province a region that has increasingly become a hotspot for kidnappings targeting schools and faith-based institutions.
There was cautious relief on December 14, when 100 captives were freed, including 14 secondary school students, one staff member, 80 primary school pupils, and five nursery children. However, the release has done little to ease the pain of families whose loved ones remain missing.
According to the OLA Sisters, those still in captivity include 11 staff members, 35 nursery school children, and 119 primary school students, aged between five and 12 or 13 years. Many of the children were abducted at night and were not properly clothed at the time of their capture.
“They are being held in appalling conditions in the forest,” said Sr. Mary T. Barron, Congregation Leader of the OLA Sisters. “While we welcomed the release of 100 captives with gratitude and joy, that joy is overshadowed by our deep concern for the remaining 165. How much longer must these innocent children endure such suffering?”
Sr. Barron emphasized that the OLA Sisters, together with supporters around the world, continue to pray fervently for the safety and protection of those still held captive. She expressed gratitude for the solidarity already shown by faith communities and humanitarian groups.
“We are deeply thankful for the overwhelming support we have received so far,” she said. “We urge all Religious Congregations, Catholic institutions, faith communities, and people of goodwill everywhere not to relent, but to continue standing with this suffering community through prayer and advocacy.”
Beyond prayer, the OLA Sisters have made a strong plea for political intervention, urging leaders with influence to act swiftly and decisively.
“We appeal to all those who hold political power and authority to assist the Federal Government of Nigeria so that these innocent children can return home without further delay,” Sr. Barron said. Quoting a well-known maxim, she added, “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. We beg those who can act to do so now, in the interest of the safety and dignity of these children.”
The continued captivity of the Papiri students has drawn renewed attention to Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, particularly the targeting of schools and vulnerable children. Church leaders and human rights advocates warn that unless stronger measures are taken, such attacks risk becoming a normalized tactic of terror.
As the fourth week of captivity passes, the OLA Sisters’ plea stands as a stark reminder of the human cost of inaction and a call to the global conscience to ensure that the remaining captives are brought home safely and without further delay.