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| Africa Subsaharan | |
| Christmas miracle: Kidnapped Catholic school kids in Nigeria freed | |
| 2025-12-25 | |
| [Aletaeia] The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora rejoices in confirming the safe release of the second batch of children abducted from St. Mary's Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools In late November, 303 students and 12 staff members were kidnapped from St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger State, in Nigeria. The jihadis kidnapped about half the total student body that day: boys for child soldiers, girls for wives to worthy turbans, and the excess of both to be sold on the world market. A first group of about 100 was released in early December. Now, just before Christmas, the rest have been released.In a message to Vatican News, Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna expressed immense relief, attributing the pre-Christmas development to prayers offered by the faithful in the Diocese and around the world. "I am deeply grateful to God for his providence and protection during this extremely difficult period," he said. He also thanked the government at federal and state levels for "decisive and coordinated efforts." "The authorities took comprehensive measures to ensure their safe release, including psychological support, trauma examination, and medical care for all the children," he added.
In the courtyard of his family home in Azakabosso, Emmanuel Ibrahim is welcomed by family members after spending a month being held hostage by kidnappers. Ibrahim, 29, is a social studies teacher at St. Mary’s School in Papiri. He is one of several hundred students and teachers who were abducted from the school, in Nigeria’s Niger State, in an early morning attack in November. He described harrowing conditions with kidnappers, who he referred to as “terrorists”, and he said there were “more women and children than men” in the camp where the hostages were staying in the bush.
But Ibrahim smiled when he spoke about being home in time for Christmas. “Actually I’m so, so happy, because in my expectations, I was not expecting (that) I would have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas with my family,” he said. Ibrahim is among the 130 students and teachers who were released Sunday, the last of the group that remained in captivity after 100 were released earlier this month. Anthony Chieme spoke to The Associated Press when his son was released at that time. But he still had a daughter in captivity, who was released with the group this past weekend. As both of his children sat beside him in front of the family home Wednesday, he said he thanked God that he now has them both back, but worried about his daughter. “My daughter Onyishe is not the same girl that came back. The government gave her water (saline) and blood transfusion, but she is still not feeling well. But I trust God will take care of her,” he said. School kidnappings have come to define insecurity in Africa’s most populous country. Officials did not say whether a ransom — common in such abductions — had been paid. No group has claimed responsibility, but residents blamed armed gangs that target schools and travelers in kidnappings for ransom across Nigeria’s conflict-battered north. Most of those seized in the attack were aged between 10 and 17, the school said.
Related: Papiri: 2025-12-21 Nearing the End of 2025, What is the State of the Islamic State? Papiri: 2025-12-16 Nigerian Air Force conducted airstrikes against an ISWAP position in the southern Tumbuns, in the Lake Chad area, Borno stat Papiri: 2025-12-15 US Apache gunship engaging ISWAP near Lake Chad Related: St. Mary’s 12/08/2025 100 Christian Nigerian Students Reportedly Freed After Mass Kidnapping St. Mary’s 02/21/2021 BLM Protester Arrested for Portland Cathedral Vandalism on Ash Wednesday St. Mary’s 03/14/2019 Mystery infections traced to blood-shedding religious ritual | |
| Posted by:trailing wife |