The abduction of pupils, students and staff from St Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri continues to cast a long shadow over the entire community. The school, operated by the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles on behalf of the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, remains at the centre of an unfolding crisis that has shaken families, our Sisters, and all who know the mission there.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, our Congregational Leader, Sr Mary T. Barron, appealed to the Irish Government to use every diplomatic channel available to support efforts to locate and safely return the 315 children and staff taken in the early hours of Friday morning. While fifty children have managed to escape and return to their families, 265 remain missing.
“These are tiny little children,” she said, describing that some are primary-school age and were taken at gunpoint. She stressed the urgency of coordinated international action, noting that with modern resources and political pressure, it should not be impossible to track and rescue them. “Our huge concern is that we get them back safely as soon as possible — they are seriously traumatised.”
Sr Mary, originally from Letterkenny in Co Donegal, emphasised that Ireland has a role to play. She asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs to do what she can behind the scenes, pointing out that while Nigeria may not request help directly, the international community — including the EU — can still advocate and press for action. “If Nigeria is not asking for help, we see that they need help,” she added.
The abduction has also deeply affected the wider school family in Ireland. St Mary’s Schools in Papiri are twinned with St Mary’s High School in Newry, Co Down. This relationship has built strong ties of friendship and shared understanding between the two school communities. Students and staff in Newry, who have followed news from Papiri closely over the years, are now holding their sister school in prayer as they wait for every possible update.
Sr Mary spoke about her earlier visits to Nigeria, including her last time at the school 10 years ago and another visit to the country five years ago. She noted that during that previous stay, she had been advised not to travel to a particular region because of security concerns there — but she stressed that nothing in Papiri suggested that an attack of this scale was approaching. What has happened came without any indication, and it has left families and the local community in complete shock.
Although security forces n Niger State have been deployed to search for the abducted—including military personnel and local vigilante groups familiar with the terrain—no verified details of their work have been released publicly. Authorities have made general statements that they are “working to secure their release”, but there has been no confirmed account of what these efforts involve, no disclosed information about progress, and no authoritative update from the ground.
Sr Mary’s appeal reflects the gravity of what families and our sisters in Nigeria are facing and the urgent need for coordinated action. The priority now is the safe return of the children and staff, and the support of a community living through fear and uncertainty. We continue to urge strong, sustained international engagement, and we hold hope that every child and staff member will return home safely.