Parents of the more than 300 children abducted from a Catholic school in Niger state last week are overwhelmed with fear and anguish, especially as many of the victims are extremely young and vulnerable.
They have been gathering in hopes of hearing good news, but the uncertainty surrounding their children’s wellbeing grows heavier each day.
Armed groups stormed the school in central-western Nigeria, marking yet another devastating episode in the country’s long struggle with mass kidnappings.
In the same week, 25 girls were taken from a separate school, and 38 worshippers were abducted from a church in the eastern region, underscoring a widening pattern of targeted attacks.
Although around 50 children from St Mary’s Catholic School managed to escape, more than 265 students and staff remain in captivity. Families are struggling with fear and declining emotional health as the days pass without updates.
One father’s agony is worsened by the fact that his four-year-old son suffers from asthma and cannot yet communicate.
“My son is a small boy. He doesn’t even know how to talk,” a parent said.
“We don’t know the condition in which the boy is.”
Another parent repeated his desperate appeal, saying he would do anything to bring his child home.
“I need my child back. I need my child back. If I had the power to bring my child back, I would do it,” he said.
Nigeria has endured years of mass abductions driven largely by criminal gangs seeking ransom. While many victims are eventually released, rescued, or escape, the trauma for affected families continues long after the incidents end.
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