More than 200 students from a private Catholic school in Nigeria were reportedly kidnapped by armed bandits, marking another major attack on the country’s Christian community. According to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), 215 students and 12 teachers were taken during the raid.

Some children managed to escape and reached safety. However, anxious parents remain at the school, waiting for updates and hoping for their children’s return. CAN’s Niger State chapter chairman, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, assured families that the school is closely working with the government and security agencies to rescue the abducted students and staff.

School Closures as Violence Escalates

This attack is the latest in a growing wave of violence targeting Christians in Nigeria. Earlier this week, gunmen stormed a church in Kwara state and killed at least two people. In another incident, 25 female students were kidnapped from a government boarding school and the vice principal was shot dead.

Due to the worsening security situation, the Niger state government has shut down several schools. President Bola Tinubu also cancelled international engagements, including his trip to the G20 summit in Johannesburg, to respond to the crisis. His move came just days after gunmen abducted 25 girls from a secondary school in Kebbi state.

For years, heavily armed criminal groups have been intensifying attacks across rural regions in northwestern and central Nigeria. These gangs operate in remote areas with weak state presence. They have killed thousands and carried out numerous kidnappings for ransom. Their camps are reportedly located deep inside a vast forest that stretches across multiple states, including Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Niger.

International Pressure Mounts

News of the escalating attacks on Christians has reached the United States. At the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth urged Nigeria to act immediately. He called on the country to “take both urgent and enduring action to stop violence against Christians” during his meeting with Nigerian National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu.

This meeting followed strong remarks from US President Donald Trump. He warned that Christianity was “facing an existential threat” in Nigeria. Trump also issued a stark message: if Nigeria fails to stop the killings, the United States will respond, and “it will be fast, vicious, and sweet.”