On mass kidnapping of children in Nigeria, including those from St Mary's Catholic School in Papiri

B100584/2025

European Parliament resolution on mass kidnapping of children in Nigeria, including those from St Mary's Catholic School in Papiri

(2025/3029(RSP))

The European Parliament,

having regard to its previous resolutions on Nigeria,

– having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas, on 21 November 2025, gunmen attacked St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri village, Niger State, and abducted at least 303 pupils and 12 staff members, in one of the largest mass school kidnappings in Nigeria in recent years;

B. whereas, on 2 December 2025, Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, resigned from his position with immediate effect at a time of heightened security challenges and growing public pressure on the government to address a surge in mass kidnappings and terrorist attacks across the country;

C. whereas the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has reported that at least 402 people, most of them schoolchildren, have been abducted in the states of Niger, Kebbi, Kwara and Borno since 17 November 2025; whereas armed gangs and terrorist groups frequently target schools for ransom; whereas in 2024 over 276 mostly Christian schoolgirls were kidnapped by Boko Haram;

D. whereas multiple organisations, religious leaders and experts have expressed concern about the escalation of violence in Nigeria, notably against Christian communities, with some warning of a potential risk of mass atrocities, including genocide;

F. whereas the rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and to freedom of peaceful assembly and association are guaranteed by Sections 38 and 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as well as by regional and international human rights instruments to which Nigeria is a party;

Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all students and staff members of St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri who are still being held in captivity;

Underlines that Nigerian authorities have the responsibility to grant security and safety to all citizens of Nigeria and ensure that schoolchildren can enjoy education in full security;

Urges the Nigerian authorities to uphold human rights in particular their right to freedom of religion and belief throughout the country by ensuring that neither federal nor state laws violate rights of citizens granted under the national Constitution and international conventions;

Urges the Nigerian Government to effectively tackle the prevailing impunity surrounding mass kidnappings and abductions and to ensure that all perpetrators are brought to justice;

Recalls ongoing international efforts to combat terrorist organisations such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, which are attacking, killing and displacing Nigerians, particularly Christians, and calls on the authorities to take immediate, concrete measures to prevent and respond to their terrorist attacks;

Emphasizes that the targeted attacks against churches and other Christian institutions in Nigeria are driven by Islamist motives;

Calls on the EU and its Member States to raise these cases and concerns over the persecution of Christians and other vulnerable groups in their political dialogue with the Nigerian authorities;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Nigerian authorities and to the relevant regional and international institutions.