AFRICA/NIGERIA - Bishop of Kontagora: "The freed hostages are on their way to their families"

Tuesday, 9 December 2025

NIGERIA

2025-12-09
Bishop of Kontagora: "The freed hostages are on their way to their families"

2025-12-04
Priest kidnapped in Kaduna State

2025-12-02
Prayer chain for those abducted from Catholic schools in Papiri: the Superior General of the SMA Fathers in a sign of missionary unity with the OLA Sisters

2025-12-01
Archbishop of Sokoto: “No one asks the Catholic Church if the figures on persecution are accurate”

2025-11-27
President Tinubu declares state of emergency due to insecurity and orders recruitment of additional police officers and soldiers

2025-11-26
Still no news of the kidnappings at St. Mary's School; the Bishops say "the situation is truly worrisome but it is not genocide"

Abuja (Agenzia Fides) – "The 100 freed children and young people are on their way from Minna, the capital of Niger State, to Papiri to return to their families," reports Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna of Kontagora, the diocese where, on November 21, 315 students and school staff were kidnapped by an armed group that attacked St. Mary's Catholic School (see Fides, 24/11/2025 and 26/11/2025).
"Their release was announced by the military authorities, but without specifying the circumstances under which it took place. The freed children and young people were taken to Minna and are now on their way back to Papiri to finally be reunited with their families," the bishop said. A little over one hundred hostages remain in the hands of the kidnappers. Around fifty young people managed to free themselves at the time of the abduction (see Fides, 24/11/2025), but we are confident that we will soon be able to embrace them again,” said Bishop Yohanna.
In a statement from the Diocese of Papiri, sent to Fides, Bishop Yohanna thanks Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to the students' release. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 9/12/2025)