Nigeria's government is making no meaningful effort to rescue more than 250 children abducted from a Catholic boarding school in the central state of Niger last Friday, the main Catholic cleric in the region has told the BBC.
But Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna's accusation was disputed by the state's police chief, who accused the school of failing to cooperate with its search and rescue operations.
It is unclear who abducted the children from St Mary's school in Papiri village, but criminal gangs have been involved in kidnappings for ransom across Nigeria.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to intervene militarily in Nigeria if the government fails to stop the killing of Christians.
Nigeria is the most populous state in Africa, with a large Christian and Muslim population. Its government claims that individuals of all faiths and no faith are victims of insecurity in the country. Militant Islamist groups are also waging an insurgency in Nigeria; the government confirmed last week that a senior army general had been killed by jihadists in an ambush in northeastern Borno state.
The Niger state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) says that 303 students and 12 members of staff were abducted from the school in Papiri village, but 50 children managed to escape and have been reunited with their families. Bishop Yohanna, who leads the Catholic church in the region, informed the BBC that the only official action taken so far to rescue the students had been to compile their names.
He disputed allegations made by the governor of Niger state, Umar Bago, in local media that the church had defied an order to close its school after threats of attacks, stating, We did not receive any order at any point.
Despite the police chief's assurance of enough deployment to the area, reports suggest inadequate presence, with the BBC's observations revealing only minimal police activity.
"Police operations are ongoing," stated the Nigerian police chief, Kayode Egbetokun, assuring that efforts are being made to rescue the children unhurt. The abduction is the third incident reported in Nigeria in a week, prompting President Bola Tinubu to cancel his trip to the G20 summit to address the crisis. Recent reports confirm that several abducted persons from other locations have been released, yet fears persist as the spate of attacks forces numerous schools across Nigeria to shut down.
But Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna's accusation was disputed by the state's police chief, who accused the school of failing to cooperate with its search and rescue operations.
It is unclear who abducted the children from St Mary's school in Papiri village, but criminal gangs have been involved in kidnappings for ransom across Nigeria.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to intervene militarily in Nigeria if the government fails to stop the killing of Christians.
Nigeria is the most populous state in Africa, with a large Christian and Muslim population. Its government claims that individuals of all faiths and no faith are victims of insecurity in the country. Militant Islamist groups are also waging an insurgency in Nigeria; the government confirmed last week that a senior army general had been killed by jihadists in an ambush in northeastern Borno state.
The Niger state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) says that 303 students and 12 members of staff were abducted from the school in Papiri village, but 50 children managed to escape and have been reunited with their families. Bishop Yohanna, who leads the Catholic church in the region, informed the BBC that the only official action taken so far to rescue the students had been to compile their names.
He disputed allegations made by the governor of Niger state, Umar Bago, in local media that the church had defied an order to close its school after threats of attacks, stating, We did not receive any order at any point.
Despite the police chief's assurance of enough deployment to the area, reports suggest inadequate presence, with the BBC's observations revealing only minimal police activity.
"Police operations are ongoing," stated the Nigerian police chief, Kayode Egbetokun, assuring that efforts are being made to rescue the children unhurt. The abduction is the third incident reported in Nigeria in a week, prompting President Bola Tinubu to cancel his trip to the G20 summit to address the crisis. Recent reports confirm that several abducted persons from other locations have been released, yet fears persist as the spate of attacks forces numerous schools across Nigeria to shut down.
