The Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA) have appealed to the global community for urgent intervention as no fewer than 165 learners and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, Niger State, remain in captivity four weeks after their abduction.
The Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles are the managing agents of the school, which is owned by the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora. The prolonged captivity has continued to generate anxiety among parents, faith communities, and education stakeholders within and outside Nigeria.
The crisis began on November 21, when armed gunmen invaded the school premises at night and abducted a total of 315 persons, comprising 303 students and 12 teachers. The attack, which targeted children in their dormitories, drew nationwide condemnation and renewed concerns about insecurity around educational institutions.
Relief came on December 7 when the Federal Government secured the release of 100 abductees. Those freed included pupils and a staff member, offering temporary solace to affected families and the wider community.
Despite this development, a significant number of victims remain in captivity. Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, while speaking on Monday at an end-of-the-year dinner organised for officials of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in the state, urged Nigerians to continue praying for the safe return of the remaining schoolchildren and staff.
The distress of the situation was further highlighted in a press statement published on the Vatican News website on Tuesday. In the statement, the Congregation Leader of the OLA Sisters, Sr Mary Barron, expressed deep concern that some of the children still being held by the abductors are as young as five years old.
Sr Barron lamented that the continued captivity of the children has caused profound anguish to their families, the local community, and members of the Sisters’ congregation who manage the school.
She acknowledged the joy that followed the release of 100 abductees on December 14, describing it as a moment of relief for the affected community. According to her, those released included 14 secondary school students, one staff member, 80 primary school pupils, and five nursery school children.
However, she noted that the joy was short-lived, as 165 persons remain unaccounted for. These include 11 staff members, 35 nursery school children, and 119 pupils from the primary school section of the institution.
Sr Barron revealed that the children still in captivity are between the ages of five and 12 or 13, adding that they were abducted in the middle of the night and taken away without being properly clothed. She described the conditions in which they are being held as inhumane and distressing.
“They are being kept in atrocious conditions in the forest,” she said, questioning how much longer the children’s suffering would be allowed to continue.
The OLA Congregation Leader called on individuals and institutions with political power and influence to work in collaboration with the Federal Government to secure the immediate release of the abducted children and staff.
Quoting a well-known moral principle, she stated, “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing,” and appealed to those in positions of authority to act decisively in the interest of the children’s safety and wellbeing.
She added that the OLA Sisters, alongside supporters across the world, continue to pray fervently for the protection and safe return of those still in captivity.
“We are most grateful for the immense support we have received so far,” she said, while urging religious congregations, Catholic institutions, faith communities, and people of goodwill globally to sustain their prayers and support for the affected community.
