The kidnapping of dozens of children at a Catholic boarding school in Nigeria has wreaked havoc among the minors’ parents, who watched helplessly as a group of armed men took their children away.
Theo told the BBC that he woke up last Friday to the noise made by armed men as they passed his house with the children they had kidnapped from St. Mary’s School, in the village of Babiri, Niger State.
He added: “They took them on foot, as if shepherds were controlling their flocks. Some of the children fell and the men kicked them and ordered them to get up.”
The father, whose real name we withheld to protect his safety, said, “The gunmen were on board about 50 motorcycles when they controlled them.”
Speaking to the BBC from the bedroom where his son was, Theo said he was unable to prevent the kidnapping.
“I wanted to go (to help), but I thought better of it. Even if I went, what could I do? I couldn’t do anything,” he told the BBC, adding that he called the police, but by the time officers arrived it was too late.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CNA) reported that 303 students and 12 workers were kidnapped at the school, while 50 minors managed to avoid kidnapping and were able to be reunited with their families.
The school is run by the head of the Niger branch of the Association of Christian Churches, Bishop Paul Bawa John, who shared a list of the names of the abductees with the BBC.
However, police said they were only aware of a small number of missing children on the night of the kidnapping.
The state governor, Omar Bajo, told local media that the number of kidnapped students was exaggerated, and was “very, very less” than 303 students.
He accused the school authorities of opening the center despite threats from unknown gunmen four years ago and again two months ago.
“Schools in that area have been closed for four years,” Bajo said. “I was surprised to find that the school is still open.”
He also insisted that the attack was just “intimidation” and that all the students would be rescued sooner or later.
“The government doesn’t care”
Bishop John said that no security forces have been deployed in the area since the kidnapping incident.
Along with other parents, Theo was camping in front of the school, angry at the lack of response from the government.
“Our children have been kidnapped, but the government doesn’t seem to care!” Theo said.
He was frustrated that the state governor did not visit the school and only went to a neighboring community to speak with security forces and local leaders.
“We have come to the conclusion that the government does not care about us, we feel that we are not part of the country, that they have abandoned us.”
The pain felt by the families of the children still missing is palpable. A mother whose son was among the kidnapped children said: “I am sad. My whole life is full of sadness.”
“He is my only son, he is my firstborn son, please help us!” he asked.
Another father, Lucas, told the BBC that two of his children were kidnapped, but the youngest, a 6-year-old boy, was lucky and managed to avoid falling into the hands of the kidnappers.
“When I saw him, I was so excited. I called his name, and he turned and ran towards me. I hugged him and held him close to me,” she recalls.
Image source, Getty Images
The northern part of Niger, where Babiri is located, has recently become a hotspot for kidnappings for ransom.
The payment of these ransoms has been banned in an attempt to cut off the supply of money to criminal gangs, but with little results.
The BBC team traveled about 500 kilometers to Babiri from Minna, the capital of Niger State, amid several warnings of danger on certain roads. In some departments, the police accompanied the team.
Many blame the current crisis on the size of the country. In terms of area, Niger is the largest country in Nigeria, and it is also larger than European countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands.
It also has many forests, which criminal gangs use as camps and routes to communicate with other states in Nigeria, as well as neighboring countries.
The kidnapping that occurred at Babiri School is the third that has occurred in Nigeria within a week.
Last Monday, more than 20 Muslim schoolgirls were kidnapped, according to the BBC, from a boarding school in Kebbi State, which borders Niger.
There was also an attack on a church further south in Kwara State, killing two people and kidnapping dozens of worshipers.
Image source, Getty Images
American threat
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu canceled his trip to attend the G20 summit in South Africa last weekend to address the crisis.
On Sunday, it was posted on social media that 38 worshipers who were kidnapped in Kwara State had been rescued, according to external sources.
“I want to make it clear that I will not give up. Every Nigerian, in every state, has the right to security, and under my supervision, we will ensure the security of this nation and protect our people,” Tinubu said.
The wave of kidnappings has led to the closure of many boarding schools across Nigeria, as parents rush to pick up their children.
The government is under pressure from US President Donald Trump, who warned earlier this month that he would send troops into Nigeria “with their guns drawn” if the killing of Christians “continues to be allowed” by Islamist militants.
The Nigerian government stated that accusations of persecution of Christians are a “dangerous distortion of reality” as “terrorists attack anyone who rejects their murderous ideology, Muslims, Christians and people of no faith.”
While some kidnappings are carried out by militant Islamist groups, many others are carried out by criminal gangs for ransom, highlighting the deep security crisis in the country.
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