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

B100580/2025

European Parliament resolution on the mass kidnapping of children in Nigeria, including from St Mary’s Catholic school in Papiri

(2025/3029(RSP))

The European Parliament,

having regard to Rule 150 (5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas on 21 November 2025, 303 students and 12 teachers were kidnapped from St Mary’s Catholic school in Papiri, Nigeria; whereas about 50 of the abductees escaped; whereas the Nigerian government has rescued about 100 children;

B. whereas kidnapping of children has plagued Nigeria since the 2014 abduction of 276 school girls in the town of Chibok by Boko Haram jihadists;

C. whereas kidnapping in Nigeria is mostly committed by Islamist groups (Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province) and criminal gangs;

D. whereas Christian communities and educational institutions in Nigeria face systematic targeting by Islamist terrorist groups;

E. whereas between July 2024 and June 2025, at least 4,722 people were kidnapped in 997 incidents, and at least 762 killed;

F. whereas more than 180 Nigerian schoolchildren were killed and 1,680 others kidnapped in the period 2014-2024;

G. whereas according to UNICEF, Nigeria has the world’s largest population of children not attending school (around 19 million out-of-school children) due to the threat of kidnapping, poverty, poor infrastructure and cultural factors; whereas this very low school attendance has a negative impact on Nigeria’s development;

H. whereas the persistent insecurity, affecting civilian populations, particularly children, creates conditions, driving illegal migration toward Europe;

1. Condemns, in the strongest terms, the mass kidnapping of children in Nigeria as part of a systematic pattern of Islamist violence and targeting of Christian communities;

2. Reaffirms that primary responsibility for citizen protection rests with the Nigerian government; calls on Nigeria to mobilise its own resources and political will to address systemic corruption and governance failures that enable kidnapping networks to operate with impunity;

3. Notes that the Safe School Initiative, launched in 2014, failed because of corruption

and gross negligence on the part of various administrations; encourages the Nigerian

government to take all the necessary measures to make schools a safe(r) environment;

4. Considers that weak law enforcement and high impunity in Nigeria are one of the drivers

of mass kidnappings; calls on Nigeria to strengthen its police and judicial apparatus, making policing and prosecution robust and accountable;

5. Considers that intelligence gathering in Nigeria has always focused on regime security,

neglecting the security of its citizens; calls on Nigeria to reform its security and intelligence architecture in order to make it effective in the fight against Islamist terrorism and armed gangs;

6. Emphasises that a stable, secure Nigeria capable of protecting its citizens is essential for

European security interests and for preventing the root causes of illegal migration;

7. Calls on the Commission and EEAS to prioritise security sector support to Nigeria within the framework of EU-Africa partnerships;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European External Action Service, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the government, National Assembly and President of Nigeria.