Sittings · Document

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION (2025/3029(RSP)) 2025-12-15

On the mass kidnapping of children in Nigeria, including from St Mary’s Catholic school in Papiri

on behalf of the ESN Group · Rapporteur: Tomasz Froelich, Petr Bystron, Marc Jongen

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✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 4 Sept 2026

This resolution condemns the mass kidnapping of children in Nigeria, including the 21 November 2025 abduction of 303 students and 12 teachers from St Mary’s Catholic school in Papiri, as part of systematic Islamist violence and targeting of Christian communities. It calls on Nigeria to address corruption, governance failures, weak law enforcement, and security sector neglect, and to make schools safer. It also calls on the Commission and the European External Action Service to prioritise security sector support to Nigeria within EU-Africa partnerships.

Key points

  1. Condemns the mass kidnapping of children in Nigeria as systematic Islamist violence and targeting of Christian communities.
  2. Reaffirms that the Nigerian government has primary responsibility for citizen protection and calls on it to address corruption and governance failures enabling kidnappings.
  3. Notes the Safe School Initiative failed due to corruption and negligence, and encourages Nigeria to make schools safer.
  4. Calls on Nigeria to strengthen police and judicial apparatus to make policing and prosecution robust and accountable.
  5. Calls on Nigeria to reform its security and intelligence architecture to fight Islamist terrorism and armed gangs effectively.
  6. Emphasises that a stable, secure Nigeria is essential for European security and for preventing root causes of illegal migration.
  7. Calls on the Commission and the European External Action Service to prioritise security sector support to Nigeria within EU-Africa partnerships.

Who is affected

  • The Nigerian government and its security forces, who are called on to improve protection and reform.
  • The Commission and the European External Action Service, who are asked to prioritise security sector support.
  • Children and schools in Nigeria, who are the targets of kidnappings and the focus of safety measures.

Figures and deadlines

  • 303 students and 12 teachers were kidnapped on 21 November 2025; about 50 escaped; about 100 were rescued.
  • Between July 2024 and June 2025, at least 4,722 people were kidnapped in 997 incidents, and at least 762 killed.
  • More than 180 Nigerian schoolchildren were killed and 1,680 kidnapped in 2014-2024.
  • Around 19 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, according to UNICEF.

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text and ¶ links to the paragraph it rests on. Check the text itself before relying on it.