The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the Northern Region and the Federal Capital Territory, Rev. John Hayab, has revealed that a parent collapsed and died from a heart attack after learning that his three children were among those abducted at St Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State.
Speaking during a live appearance on ARISE News on Tuesday, Hayab described the intense trauma being endured by families whose children were kidnapped across Kebbi, Kwara, and Niger States in the past week.
According to him, the deceased parent, identified simply as Mr Anthony, could not withstand the shock of discovering that all three of his children had been taken by armed attackers.
“People want to see concrete action. Imagine the mental torture a parent faces when their child is abducted. One of the parents—Mr Anthony—died yesterday of a heart attack because three of his children were victims,” Hayab said.
He stressed that many parents are terrified and struggling to speak publicly due to fear and emotional distress, noting that the situation “remains very fresh and painful.”
Hayab added that parents in the affected communities have been desperate for updates, as many do not know the condition or location of their missing children.
“These children have not slept, they have not bathed, and their parents cannot explain where they are,” he said.
The CAN leader also raised concerns about the seeming absence of security personnel on the ground in
some of the affected locations, insisting that the country needs visible and decisive action rather than repeated official statements.He disclosed that 50 senior pupils managed to escape after running into the bush during the attack, but over 265 children—mostly between the ages of nine and fourteen—remain unaccounted for.
Hayab welcomed the release of 24 schoolgirls recently freed in Kebbi State, but warned that families remain deeply traumatised and the events have further exposed the long-standing weaknesses within Nigeria’s security architecture.
“It has been a traumatic week for parents, for leaders and for our security men,” he said.
Despite the severity of the crisis, Hayab insisted that Nigeria has sufficient manpower to defeat the criminals if the country’s security structure is reorganised and resources properly distributed.
He criticised the overwhelming deployment of police officers to VIP protection rather than community safety.
“A large chunk of those who are supposed to secure Nigerians are securing VIPs,” he said. “When proper deployment is done, we will be able to get rid of these things. We have what it takes, but we are not deploying it.”
In a related development, the Special Protection Unit of the Nigeria Police Force has ordered all officers attached to VIPs nationwide to return to their bases.
This follows President Bola Tinubu’s directive issued on 23 November ordering the immediate withdrawal of police personnel assigned to VIP security.
#NigerState #SchoolAbductions #BringBackOurChildren #NigeriaSecurity #CAN #RevHayab #KidnapCrisis #EducationUnderAttack #StopTheViolence #NewsUpdate
