AFRICA/NIGERIA – Appeal of the Bishops of Ibadan. More than a month of captivity for 39 students and 7 teachers

Abuja – Since May 15, 39 students and 7 teachers have been in the hands of bandits who attacked schools in the Ahoro-Esinle region of the Oriire district near Ogbomoso in Oyo State, southwestern Nigeria .
The bishops of the ecclesiastical province of Ibadan issued a joint statement acknowledging the plight of these individuals, who, according to local newspapers, are being held in difficult conditions in Old Oyo National Park.
In the statement, they expressed their deep concern about the victims’ situation after more than a month of captivity. “These children, barely able to understand what has happened to them, have been living for over a month in extreme conditions – without shelter, without sufficient food, and exposed to the elements in the forest,” said the bishops, who are demanding their immediate and unconditional release. During the mass abduction, bandits killed three people: a teacher, a motorcyclist, and another teacher who was later beheaded in the forest. These acts, the bishops stated, “violate the peace and innocence of the people of southwestern Nigeria, who are known for their passion for education.” “This has absolutely no place in Nigeria, and especially among the Yoruba,” they emphasized. The bishops are calling on government authorities to provide greater security for vulnerable populations and are also expressing doubts about the policy of reintegrating so-called “repentant bandits.”
According to the bishops, such practices undermine public trust in the justice system and send the wrong message to law-abiding citizens. “The continued reintegration of so-called repentant criminals into law enforcement and society, while the victims of crime and their families are neglected or despised, damages the reputation of the justice system,” they stated. Meanwhile, unions, local communities, and citizens in Ibadan have organized protests to demand concrete action. According to local press reports, the kidnappers have changed their demands and are now calling for either a ransom or the release of some of their accomplices. Mass kidnappings of students are nothing new in Nigeria; they began with the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in April 2014. A glimmer of hope came with the June 11 ruling by the Federal Court in Abuja, which sentenced five men to 25 years in prison each for the kidnapping of 230 students from St. Mary Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri .

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