The largest mass kidnapping in Nigerian history took place Friday as more than 300 Christians were abducted.
The kidnap of 303 students and 12 teachers from St. Mary’s School in Niger state came three weeks after President Donald Trump demanded the Nigerian government act to end the persecution of Christians.
Previously, the largest mass kidnapping in Nigeria had 276 victims, according to the BBC.
“I think Nigeria is a disgrace. The whole thing is a disgrace,” Trump said in a Friday interview, according to The New York Times. “They’re killing people by the thousands. It’s a genocide. And I’m really angry about it.”
The Trump administration has flagged Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, a category of nations that restrict religious freedom.
Shawn Wright, president of International Christian Concern, said Nigeria’s government must get off the sidelines and act, according to a statement posted on the group’s website.
Nigerian officials said one group has claimed responsibility for the kidnappings.
“Boarding schools, churches, and Christian communities cannot continue to operate under constant threat of violence and kidnapping. You must enact and enforce robust security protocols, including early warning systems, secure perimeters, and close coordination with local law enforcement,” Wright wrote.
I just don’t know what to say anymore after this latest kidnapping attack in Niger State, Nigeria, at St Mary’s Catholic School.
The terrorists want to destroy the futures of a generation of young girls & boys.
They want to destroy Christians.
They are enemies of civilization. pic.twitter.com/qx1bpwPwsx
— Sean Nelson (@Sean_ADFIntl) November 21, 2025
“This attack is symptomatic of the wider climate of hostility faced by Christians in Nigeria. Government policy must explicitly recognize that Christians are a vulnerable group and guarantee equal protection under the law,” Wright added.
The mass kidnapping is a “glaring emblem of the intolerable persecution that Christians face around the world.”
He called upon the Trump administration to “hold accountable those Nigerian government officials, regional authorities, or entities who fail to protect religious minorities or are complicit in persecution” and only send Nigeria aid when it protects Christians.
“When children are hauled from their dormitories, when Christian teachers are terrorized, when entire communities live in the shadow of fear — silence is complicity. As ICC’s President, I stand with the kidnapped students of St. Mary’s and their families. I call on Nigeria’s government to act decisively and on the U.S. government to enforce the consequences of its own designations,” he wrote.
“Let this be a turning point: Not merely another headline of horror, but the moment the international community said enough — and stood firmly for the vulnerable. We will not forget. We will not relent. We will see justice done,” he concluded.
State Department official Jonathan Pratt said the administration is developing a response to the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, according to Military Times.
“The Trump administration is developing a plan to incentivize and compel the Nigerian government to better protect Christian communities and improve religious freedom,” he said.
“This plan will consider U.S. State and Treasury engagement on sanctions, as well as possible Department of War engagement on counterterrorism and other efforts to protect religious communities.”
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