It is with great sadness that we bring you this news from Agenzia Fides which reports on the abduction of students during an attack on Catholic schools run by Kontagora Diocese, Nigeria. SMA Missionaries have worked in this area for many years and Bishop Tim Carroll SMA was the first Bishop of the Diocese. Recently his successor Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna visited us in SMA House, Blackrock Road and a video interview recorded by him is published in the November SMA Journal. We ask your prayers for all those who have been kidnapped, for their families, for the OLA Sisters who manage the schools, Diocesan Priests, Bishop Bulus and for SMA Fathers who work in Kontagora.
During the Sunday Angelus Prayer in the Vatican, Pope Leo expressed his great anguish for the children and their parents.
(Agenzia Fides) – A Catholic school in Nigeria was attacked and around 100 students were kidnapped. In the early hours of November 21 an armed group on 60 motorcycles and in cars stormed St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in the community of Papiri, Niger State, in north-central Nigeria.
A statement from the Diocese of Kontagora, signed by Diocesan Secretary Jatau Luka Joseph, further stated that a member of the security personnel was seriously injured in the attack. The attack reportedly took place between 1:00 and 3:00 a.m. “The Diocese of Kontagora strongly condemns the attack and expresses deep concern for the safety of the kidnapped children and their families,” the statement sent to Fides reads. “The security authorities were immediately informed and have launched coordinated efforts to ensure the safe return of the hostages.” (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 21/11/2025)