The mass kidnapping of 315 people—mostly children—in the Catholic school St. Mary, in Kontagora, remains unresolved. “Unfortunately, there are no updates on the fate of the hostages”, Mons. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, bishop of the diocese where on November 21 an armed commando burst in and forcibly took students and educational staff, declared to Agencia Fides. Fifty students managed to escape, but 265 people remain captive, including 239 minors.
This situation exposes the fragility of security in Nigeria, a situation that the country's bishops have denounced in their recent statement titled “Peace in Nigeria: from fragility to stability”.
The bishops: persistent violence, repeated attacks and serious State failures
According to Mons. Yohanna, the episcopal document “describes the real situation” that Nigeria has been experiencing for years and points out a “lack of political will” to address a crisis that bleeds entire regions. The Episcopal Conference (CBCN) warns that the country's social and religious climate is at its limit.
In their statement, the bishops denounce “the deplorable security situation”, the “persistent” violence, with countless victims, destroyed homes, displaced families and repeated attacks against predominantly Christian communities in the north and center of the country.
Particularly grave, they affirm, is that in some cases “delays or lack of responses from the security forces” are recorded, which suggests “possible complicity or lack of will to act”.
However, the bishops reject speaking of genocide
The CBCN, without minimizing the persecution suffered by numerous Christians, rejects external accusations of “genocide”. They recall that:
“Muslims and other innocent citizens of different ethnicities have also been victims of this same cruelty”.
For the bishops, the violence in Nigeria has become a national crisis, not a strictly religious conflict.
A chain of kidnappings and massacres that overwhelms the country
The magnitude of the crisis is evident in the latest events, enumerated by the Episcopal Conference itself:
- Kidnapping of 38 Episcopalian faithful in Kwara
- Abduction of 25 girls in Kebbi
- Kidnapping of 13 farm women in Borno
- Kidnapping of 265 students and teachers at St. Mary school
- Massacre of more than 70 people in Taraba
- Thousands displaced by armed attacks
- Murder of General Musa Uba and several members of the security forces
For the bishops, this succession of tragedies reveals to what extent criminality has penetrated “into national life”.
The CBCN demands that the Government fulfill its constitutional duty
Faced with a State incapable of protecting the population, the bishops demand that the Government assume its responsibilities in accordance with the 1999 Constitution: guarantee the security of all citizens, stop the violence and bring to justice those responsible for the crimes that ravage Nigeria.
The fate of the 265 St. Mary hostages remains a painful symbol of a country trapped between insecurity, impunity and the suffering of its Christian communities.