Pope Leo asked on Sunday for the immediate release of children and staffers abducted this week from Nigeria’s school , one of the worst mass kidnappings ever recorded there.
Gunmen in Nigeria kidnapped students and teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, in Niger State in the northwest of the country on Friday, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said, the latest in a spate of school attacks this week that has forced the government to shut 47 colleges.
CAN said on Saturday it had raised its estimate of those taken from the school to 315 from an earlier estimate of 227, following a “verification exercise.”
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This is coming as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying “We have received some good news as fifty pupils escaped and have reunited with their parents,” said Daniel Atori, the media aide to CAN Chairman in Niger State, Most. Rev. Bulus Yohanna, who is also the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese,” aadding that they escaped between Friday and Saturday.
According to CAN, ” “Currently, aside the 50 pupils that escaped and have returned home, we have 141 pupils who were not carried away. As it stands now, we have 236 pupils, another three children who belong to our staff, 14 Secondary students making a total 253 children including 12 members of staff with the abductors.”
“I was deeply saddened to learn of the kidnappings of priests, faithful, and students in Nigeria and Cameroon. I feel great pain, especially for the many young men and women who have been abducted and for their anguished families,” Pope Leo said at the end of a mass in St. Peter’s Square.
“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,” he added.
“Let us pray for these brothers and sisters of ours and that churches and schools may always and everywhere remain places of safety and hope.”
Gumi Gives reasons for rising kidnapping
Meanwhile, Kaduna Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmad Gumi says the recent rise in schoolchildren kidnappings is deliberately planned to promote what he called an “unpatriotic narration of Christian genocide.”
Reacting on his verified Facebook page, Gumi said the situation is affecting children of all faiths.
According to him, “The recent increase in spate of school children kidnappings are engineered to serve an unpatriotic narration of ‘Christian genocide’, and sadly for all, also Muslim children are kidnapped.”
He described Nigeria’s security crisis as worsening, adding, “Insecurity in Nigeria is a burning candle, it will burn out Allah’s willing.”
Speaking on the issue, Sheik Gumi stated: “The terrorists need the money they’re getting from kidnapping, It’s not like they are living luxurious lives; Government is putting too much pressure on them so they need money to finance.”
