Imagine waking up to the sound of gunfire, only to find that dozens of children have vanished into the night from a school meant to be their sanctuary.
That’s the chilling reality for families in Niger State, Nigeria, where a brazen kidnapping has once again exposed the vulnerability of Christian communities under siege, Fox News reported.
In the early hours of Friday, November 21, 2025, gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic School in the Papiri community of Agwara, Niger State, abducting 52 students aged 12 to 17, along with staff members, in a horrifying act of violence.
Reports from Nigerian outlet Arise TV confirmed the staggering number of children taken, though exact figures remain unverified by state officials like Abubakar Usman, secretary to the Niger State government.
A security staffer at St. Mary’s was gravely wounded, “badly shot” during the attack, a stark reminder of the personal cost of this chaos. Meanwhile, the Niger State Police Command has scrambled military and security forces to the area, but one wonders if this is too little, too late. When will prevention outpace reaction?
Abubakar Usman didn’t hold back, criticising the school’s decision to reopen without state clearance:
Regrettably, St. Mary’s School proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the State Government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk
This tragedy isn’t an isolated incident, as the week leading up to this attack was already stained with blood and terror across Nigeria.
Just days prior, armed attackers kidnapped 25 girls from a boarding school in Kebbi State, leaving at least one staffer dead, while the search for those missing continues. It’s a pattern that’s hard to ignore, unless you’re willfully blind to the targeting of vulnerable communities.
On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the violence took another grim turn when gunmen invaded the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, killing at least two and abducting the pastor along with 38 worshippers. A verified video from Reuters captured the horror—armed men looting belongings as gunshots echoed in the background. This isn’t just crime; it’s a calculated assault on faith itself.
A church official revealed the attackers demanded a ransom of 100 million naira—roughly $69,000—per worshipper, an astronomical sum for most families in the region. It’s extortion dressed as ideology, preying on the devout who simply want to pray in peace.
When did worship become a death sentence?
The broader context of these attacks paints a dire picture, with Nigeria facing a relentless wave of violence against Christians, prompting international outcry. President Donald Trump has labeled Nigeria a “country of particular concern” for the persecution of Christians, a designation the Nigerian government disputes with predictable defensiveness. Truth isn’t always comfortable, but it’s necessary.
On Tuesday, November 18, 2025, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz hosted a powerful event in New York City to spotlight this ongoing crisis. A panel discussion titled “Combatting Religious Violence and the Killing of Christians in Nigeria” at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations underscored the urgency of global attention. It’s refreshing to see diplomats stepping up when so many turn a blind eye.
Waltz didn’t mince words at the event, declaring, “Folks, we have an entire faith that is being erased, one bullet at a time, one torched Bible at a time.” That’s a sobering reality check for anyone still clinging to the notion that this is just “local unrest.” Ignoring this genocide-in-slow-motion isn’t neutrality; it’s complicity.
Even rap superstar Nicki Minaj lent her voice to the cause at the same event, showing that this issue transcends politics and borders. Her words cut deep, and they should. When celebrities and ambassadors alike are sounding the alarm, shouldn’t we all be listening?
Minaj’s heartfelt plea at the event captured the human toll: “Families have been torn apart, and entire communities live in fear constantly, simply because of how they pray.” That’s not hyperbole; it’s the lived experience of countless Nigerians who face terror for their beliefs. If this doesn’t stir something in you, check your pulse.
