Pope Leo appeals for release of 315 kidnapped from Nigeria school
By Reuters, November 23, 2025Pope Leo on Sunday, November 23, 2025, called for the immediate release of children and staff abducted earlier this week from a Catholic school in Nigeria, describing the incident as one of the worst mass kidnappings the country has experienced.
Gunmen stormed St. Mary’s School in northwest Nigeria on Friday, abducting students and teachers, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) confirmed.
The attack is part of a rising wave of school kidnappings across the country, which has forced the government to close 47 colleges for safety reasons.
CAN said on Saturday that it had revised the number of those taken from the school to 315 from an earlier estimate of 227, following a verification exercise.
The escalating scale of the abductions has sent shockwaves across Nigeria and drawn international concern.
“I was deeply saddened to learn of the kidnappings of priests, faithful, and students in Nigeria and Cameroon. I feel great pain, especially for the many young men and women who have been abducted and for their anguished families,” Pope Leo said at the end of a mass in St. Peter’s Square.
He made a heartfelt appeal for authorities to act swiftly. “I make a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages and urge the competent authorities to take appropriate and timely decisions to ensure their release,” the Pope added.
He also stressed the importance of safety in religious and educational institutions. “Let us pray for these brothers and sisters of ours and that churches and schools may always and everywhere remain places of safety and hope,” he said.
The kidnappings occurred as Nigeria remains scarred by decades of attacks on schools and churches. The assaults coincided with international attention, including a warning from US President Donald Trump of possible military action over what he described as the persecution of Christians by radical Islamist groups in Nigeria. Authorities have pledged to pursue the kidnappers and secure the safe return of all hostages.