National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu arrived at the Kontagora Catholic Diocese with a message of reassurance for families of the abducted pupils and staff of St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri
Meeting the Bishop, Most Rev Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, inside the church, Ribadu said the missing children were safe and would return soon. He explained that security forces had intensified operations, with additional support already coming from the United States and several European nations.
Ribadu, who conveyed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s personal message, told the congregation that the government fully understood the weight of the moment after listening to some of the parents. He added that the administration accepted responsibility for the tragedy, noting that protecting citizens remained its foremost duty. According to him, the president halted all his engagements, including a planned trip, to focus on the matter.
He urged the community not to allow criminals to sow division, insisting that the country must stay united in confronting those behind the violence. He said enough was enough and vowed that the government would not slow down until the menace is defeated.
The NSA visited alongside the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bernard Doro; the Director General of the DSS, Oluwatosin Ajayi; and the CAN Chairman for Northern Nigeria, Rev Joseph Hayab. Ribadu assured the bishop that the government stood firmly with the church and the affected families, thanking Yohanna for his patience, cooperation and accurate information despite pressure from different quarters.
He also revealed that global attention was now focused on ending the cycle of kidnappings in Nigeria, stressing that many nations — including France, the United Kingdom and others — had offered support. He maintained that the abducted children would return safely, adding that they were not alone and that evil would not prevail.
Bishop Yohanna expressed gratitude to President Tinubu and the NSA for the visit and the hope it brought to the community. He later presented a detailed report of the incident to Ribadu before both men entered a brief closed-door session.
The principal of the school, Rev Sister Felicia Gyang, and a representative of the parents, Luka Iliya, also shared firsthand accounts of the abduction and the emotional toll it had taken on them.
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