Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, on Friday issued a strong call to the Nigerian Federal Government to take urgent and decisive action against the perpetrators of rising attacks on Christian communities across the country.
In a statement posted on X, Meloni condemned the latest wave of violence as “heinous and unacceptable,” urging Nigerian authorities to reinforce security measures and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
“We strongly condemn the renewed violence that took place today against Christian communities in Nigeria,” she wrote. “Religious freedom is an inviolable right: we ask the Nigerian government to strengthen the protection of Christian communities and all religious communities and to prosecute those responsible for these heinous attacks.”
Meloni expressed Italy’s solidarity with the victims and families affected by the violence, adding that no community should live in fear because of its religious beliefs.
“Italy expresses all its closeness to the victims and to the communities in Nigeria who today feel in danger because of their religious beliefs,” she stated.
Her remarks come amid growing international concern over escalating insecurity in Nigeria, where armed groups, bandits, and extremist factions continue to carry out mass killings, kidnappings, and coordinated raids on rural communities.
The most recent incident occurred on Friday at St Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, located in Agwarra Local Government Area of Niger State. According to the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), a total of 315 people—including 303 students and 12 teachers—were abducted when gunmen stormed the premises.
Niger State police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun confirmed that tactical police units, military personnel, and other security agencies had been deployed to pursue the attackers and secure the area.
The mass abduction follows another recent attack in Kebbi State, where 25 female students were taken from the Government Girls Secondary School in Maga. During the incident, the school’s vice principal, Hassan Makuku, was killed, while a security guard, Ali Shehu, sustained gunshot wounds.
The surge in attacks has renewed calls from both local and international observers for the Nigerian government to adopt stronger, more coordinated strategies to protect vulnerable communities, particularly in areas long plagued by insecurity.
