Nigeria School Abduction: Teacher Recounts Gunmen Threatening Crying Child; Hundreds Remain Captive After St Mary's Attack

Nigeria School Abduction: Teacher Describes Gunmen Threatening Child; Hundreds Still Held Captive

In the early hours of Friday, November 21, a harrowing incident unfolded at St Mary's Catholic School campus in Agwara, central Nigeria. Gunmen stormed the premises, initiating one of the country's most severe school kidnappings in a decade. Among those targeted were Martha Mathias, a teacher at the school, her husband, and their two children, who were asleep when the attackers arrived.

A Teacher's Terrifying Account

Mathias recounted the terrifying ordeal, stating that the assailants demanded her husband come outside, where they promptly tied him up. The commotion and the sight of her father on the ground deeply distressed their youngest daughter, who began to cry. In a chilling display of cruelty, the gunmen threatened the child, placing a gun in her mouth and warning her to silence herself.

Mathias's husband is one of 12 staff members and approximately 253 students who remain in captivity following the assault. The Christian Association of Nigeria reported on Sunday that a group of 50 students managed to escape their captors, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the despair.

The Courageous Escape of a Young Student

Thirteen-year-old Stephen Samuel, one of the escapees, shared his harrowing experience. He described how the gunmen roused them from sleep, bound them, and marched them out of the school. As they exited, the attackers defiled the school by shooting at a framed picture of the Virgin Mary. Samuel seized an unexpected opportunity to escape when one of the gunmen was preoccupied with fixing his motorcycle. "I ran. They didn't see me," he recounted. Lost and disoriented, he retraced their path until he encountered a neighbour who recognized him, provided shelter and clothing, and ultimately brought him home.

Community's Anguish and Ongoing Search

Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has affirmed that security forces are actively searching for the missing children and staff. The immense grief and anxiety among parents are palpable. Emmanuel Bala, chairman of the school's parent-teacher association, expressed that he had not yet seen any of the children who reportedly escaped. Another distraught parent, Njinkonye, whose 10-year-old son is among the abducted, visited the school on Monday, desperately hoping to find any returning child, but her search proved fruitless.

A Pattern of Abductions Across Nigeria

This devastating attack on St Mary's Catholic School is not an isolated incident. It occurred in the same week as two other major abductions in Nigeria: 25 girls were kidnapped from a boarding school in northwest Kebbi State, and 38 individuals were seized during a church service in Kwara, central Nigeria. These recurring incidents underscore a deepening security crisis affecting communities across the nation.