21 November 2025
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has issued a strong condemnation of the latest wave of attacks in Nigeria, highlighting the abduction of dozens of students from a Catholic school in the north-central Niger State amid a surge in banditry and jihadist violence that has claimed thousands of Christian lives in recent years.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Ms Meloni described religious freedom as an “inviolable right” and urged the Nigerian government to bolster protection for Christian communities and all religious groups, while ensuring those responsible for such “brutal attacks” are brought to justice. “Italy expresses its deepest condolences to the victims and the communities in Nigeria who today feel threatened because of their religious beliefs,” she wrote.
The statement comes in response to the overnight raid on St Mary’s Catholic Secondary School in the Papiri community of Agwara local government area, where armed gunmen stormed the hostels and abducted an undetermined number of pupils. Local broadcaster Arise News reported that as many as 52 students were taken, though Niger State officials have yet to confirm the exact figure. Security forces have been deployed to comb surrounding forests in a rescue operation.
This incident marks the second mass school abduction in less than a week, following the kidnapping of 25 girls from a boarding school in neighbouring Kebbi State on Monday. It also follows a deadly assault on a church in Kwara State earlier this week, where gunmen killed two worshippers and abducted dozens more during a live-streamed service.
The attacks underscore Nigeria’s deepening security crisis, driven by a mix of criminal banditry, jihadist insurgency, and resource conflicts in the north and central regions. Advocacy group Open Doors, in its 2025 World Watch List, ranks Nigeria seventh globally for Christian persecution, noting that the country remains one of the deadliest places for believers despite a slight decline in reported killings. The organisation estimates over 5,000 Christians have been killed since 2023 amid escalating violence from groups such as Fulani militants, Boko Haram, and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Ms Meloni’s intervention aligns with mounting international pressure on Abuja. On the same day, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a meeting with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to address what he termed the “horrific violence against Christians”. Mr Hegseth vowed that Washington would work “aggressively” with Nigeria to curb the assaults, echoing broader concerns in the Trump administration about targeted anti-Christian persecution.
The Nigerian government has consistently rejected claims of religious genocide, insisting that insecurity affects all faiths and is rooted in criminality, ethnic tensions, and economic factors rather than systematic bias. President Bola Tinubu has ordered intensified military operations and postponed international travel to oversee rescue efforts.
Human rights observers warn that impunity for perpetrators continues to fuel the cycle of violence, with thousands displaced and communities shattered. As rescue operations continue for the abducted students, calls grow for concerted global action to address what many describe as one of Africa’s most pressing humanitarian crises.
