- Protest in Madrid calls attention to kidnappings and school attacks in Nigeria.
- Demonstrators urge global intervention over rising insecurity targeting students.
- Families of abducted children accuse government of slow response and negligence.
- Religious leaders and activists demand urgent rescue and stronger security measures.
A large crowd gathered in front of the Nigerian Embassy in Madrid on Saturday to express frustration over the rising kidnappings and school attacks in Nigeria. The demonstration came after last week’s abduction of more than 250 students at a Catholic school in northern Nigeria.
The protest was led by the National Youth Council of Nigeria, whose president, Christiana Wariboko, called for immediate global intervention.
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“We’re standing on behalf of Christians, representing Nigerian Christians. Please intervene and do something as it regards the killings of Nigerian Christians,” Wariboko said.
The Madrid demonstration came at a time of increasing attacks on schools across the country. In Kebbi State, gunmen raided another school and abducted around 30 students before authorities later announced that they had been released. Security analysts believe many of the attacks are financially motivated and linked to weak school security.
The concerns also gained international attention after former US President Donald Trump threatened military action in Nigeria, accusing Islamist groups of attacking Christians. Nigerian officials, however, have warned that such accusations oversimplify the country’s complex security landscape.
Back home, parents of abducted students at St. Mary Catholic School in Niger State held a simultaneous protest, accusing government authorities of neglect. More than 300 pupils and 12 teachers were taken on November 21 during an armed assault on the school. While some escaped, more than 200 remain in captivity.
Joseph Dimas, whose son Julius was abducted, criticised the government:
“The truth is that my child and others were abducted. The government should act and come to our aid instead of saying what is not true.”
The Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Most Rev. Bulus Yohanna, expressed hope that the registration of affected parents and families would assist in the rescue effort.
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“It is eight days now since their abduction; we have not heard anything yet. We are still very hopeful of their return, and we are prayerful,” he said.
School officials confimed that no warnings were received prior to the attack and that rescue efforts remain ongoing. Many parents have travelled long distances to register and identify their missing children.
With at least twelve major mass school abductions recorded since 2014, public pressure continues to grow both within and outside Nigeria. Protesters are calling for faster government action, international cooperation, and improved security for schools across the country.
