KADUNA, NIGERIA—A profound and suffocating silence has descended upon communities across northern and central Nigeria as villagers, traumatized by the recent mass abductions of hundreds of schoolchildren, are now too terrified to speak publicly, fearing deadly retaliation from the armed gangs who operate with impunity.
The atmosphere of fear is palpable in the wake of a devastating two-week period that saw over 400 students and staff snatched in at least two major raids, including a single attack on a Catholic school in Niger state where more than 250 children remain in captivity.
The New Weapon of War: Psychological Terror
While kidnapping for ransom has long plagued Nigeria, the recent surge—targeting schools in remote areas with minimal security presence—is now compounded by a campaign of psychological terror designed to crush community resistance.
- Retaliation Fears: Local leaders and community advocates speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed that villagers are paralyzed by the fear that if they cooperate with security forces, report details to journalists, or even pray too loudly for their children, the armed gangs will return to execute further, more brutal attacks.
- Government Trust Eroded: The fear is deepened by a profound mistrust of security forces. Many communities have experienced what they describe as a pattern of neglect and feel abandoned by the government. Previous incidents saw the whereabouts of ransoms leaked or attempts at rescue fail, often leading to victims being killed in crossfire.”We lost faith in outsiders,” Murtala Aliyu, a village head in Sokoto, told one aid organization, explaining why his community is reluctant to talk. “We are even scared to go to our farms. Kidnappers were everywhere.”
- Mass School Closures: The climate of terror has forced the closure of dozens of schools across states like Niger and Kebbi, denying thousands of children access to education. In many rural areas, parents are now faced with an impossible choice: risk a child’s life at school or consign them to an uneducated, vulnerable future.
The Unfolding Crisis
The current crisis escalated with two major raids in the last two weeks of November 2025:
- St. Mary’s, Niger State: On November 21, over 300 students and 12 staff were kidnapped from the Catholic St. Mary’s school in the remote Papiri community. While about 50 children managed to escape, approximately 253 remain missing, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
- Kebbi State: A few days prior, 25 schoolgirls were abducted from a secondary school in Kebbi state.
The sheer number of abductions has drawn global condemnation. Pope Leo XIV expressed his sorrow and made a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of all hostages. The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) also urged Nigerian authorities to take “all lawful measures to ensure such vile attacks are halted.”
The Nigerian government has announced the redeployment of police officers from VIP protection to frontline duties and ordered the recruitment of 30,000 new officers. However, with armed gangs utilizing vast forest reserves to escape and negotiate huge ransoms, and with an increasing convergence between these criminal bandits and jihadist insurgents, the climate of fear gripping the villages is unlikely to lift until the hundreds of abducted students are safely returned.