NIGERIA: Over 300 Abducted from Boarding School

Source: International Christian Concern, ABC News, Voice of the Martyrs AU

Photo Source: International Christian Concern

More than 300 students and staff were abducted from a Catholic School in the Northern Region of Nigeria on Friday, 21 November.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Saturday, 22 November, estimates that 315 people were taken from St Mary’s School in Niger state on Friday, including 303 students and 12 teachers. It is one of the worst kidnappings in the nation’s history.

Officials in Nigeria said on Saturday that no group has claimed responsibility for the most recent attack, but Islamic extremists have long terrorised the country.

Boko Haram is one of several militant groups operating in Nigeria with ties to radical Islam. The terrorist group has highly targeted Christians, but also the government, and Muslims who haven’t joined their cause.

After Boko Haram declared allegiance to the Islamic State in 2015, part of the group splintered a year later into a separate terrorist group, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Local extremists and radical Fulani militias have also attacked and displaced Christian farmers and communities.

In a positive development, 50 of the students kidnapped have since been able to escape their captors. However, more than 250 students and 12 staff members are still being held.

• Pray for the safety and release of the rest of the students and teachers. Pray for them to feel the comfort and peace of God, despite the awful circumstances they are in.

• Pray for the emotional and spiritual healing of the students who have already escaped.

• Pray for justice on the groups who target Christians in Nigeria. Pray that they will realize their need for a Saviour and repent.