Bishop Raises Alarm As Child Kidnappings Surge Across Nigerian Schools
With anxiety deepening over Nigeria’s worsening security climate, the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Chukwuemeka Ezeokafor, has voiced strong concern over the rising wave of child kidnappings, a trend he warns poses a grave threat to schoolchildren, especially those in Catholic institutions.
Speaking shortly after the Benediction that rounded off the annual Christ the King procession at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Awka, Bishop Ezeokafor said the country is witnessing an unsettling escalation of targeted attacks.
He linked the growing hostility to the recent designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” by former United States President Donald Trump, describing it as a period marked by heightened persecution of Christians.
Addressing the crowd of worshippers who had processed from parishes across Awka metropolis, he warned that abducted children may be exploited by criminal groups as human shields.
He stressed the need for heightened vigilance both within communities and in the nation’s security architecture.
The Bishop also condemned what he called the inconsistency and double standards of some national leaders and religious figures, saying their public positions often undermine efforts to address insecurity.
“We must remain alert. We should not assume that danger is far from us,” he cautioned.
He urged Nigerians to intensify prayers for the country, particularly for the safety of children and Christian communities who continue to face threats from criminal elements.
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