By Masara Kim
ABUJA–Across Nigeria, roads are emptier, schools are closing, and families are enforcing self-imposed curfews. A new wave of terror has erupted since U.S. authorities ramped up their push for the enforcement of religious freedom in Nigeria on November 18, beginning with discussions by UN Ambassador Mike Waltz and rapper Nicki Minaj, followed by a significant Congressional hearing on November 20. Among the alarming incidents are high-profile kidnappings, which experts warn may be part of a tactic by terrorists to challenge local and international governments while using victims as human shields.
The latest is a brazen kidnap of 52 students from a Catholic highschool in the State of Niger on November 20th. The attack followed hours after the U.S.’s House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee held a public hearing on Nigeria. The hearing entitled “President Trump’s Redesignation of Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’: A Serious, Well-Founded Wake-Up Call” featured testimonies from Christian leaders and survivors of the recent massacre of over 250 Christians in the town of Yelwata in Benue State.
In his opening statement, committee Chairman Chris Smith who was holding his 12th hearing focused exclusively on Nigeria shared from his three human rights visits to Nigeria, accusing the Nigerian government of turning a blind eye to the mass slaughter of Christians.
“Nigeria is ground zero, the focal point of the most brutal and murderous anti-Christian persecution in the world today,” said Rep Smith. “Moderate Muslims who speak out against the radical Islamists or refuse to conform with the serial killers are murdered as well,” Rep Smith observed.
“For too long, the world has looked away—a culture of denial—as radical Fulani militants, Boko Haram and ISIS/West Africa have waged a relentless campaign of terror, murder, and displacement across Nigeria, including the states of Plateau, Benue, and Kaduna,” Smith told attendees.
“The Nigerian government has a fundamental, constitutional obligation to protect its citizens. Yet, the brutal reality is that the perpetrators of these mass atrocities operate with total impunity…Militant Fulani herdsman are terrorists. They steal and vandalize, they kill and boast about it, they kidnap and rape, and they enjoy total impunity from the elected officials. None of them have been arrested and brought to justice.”
“This lack of accountability sends a chilling message that the lives of Christian farmers and their families are expendable. This failure has rightfully been called out for what it is by President Trump.”
Less than five hours after the event, armed terrorists invaded St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Niger State, and seized dozens of students, teachers, and a security guard according to a statement from the local parish Kontagora. Media reports variously place the number of hostages between 52 and 100, adding to over 63 hostages previously seized in various attacks within the week.
Hours prior, at least one Christian was killed near Jos the capital of Plateau State. Town leaders report the deceased was a 43year-olf father of five, Mr. Monday Tabi who was killed in his farm in the Bassa county of Plateau State. A statement issued by Mr. Joseph Chudu Yonkpa, the spokesman of the local Irigwe tribal youth association credited Fulani terrorists with the attack.
The 10-million member Fulani tribe is credited with six times more Christian deaths than Boko Haram. The majority Muslim group is known for staging the earlies Jihad wars across west Africa, despite diffusing into civilian life and emerging as one of Nigeria’s politically influential ethnic groups. The terrorists operating across the country’s northwest and central regions are also predominantly Fulani, TruthNigeria has learned. On Monday November 17, Fulani speaking terrorists kidnapped over 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi according to witnesses. The early morning attack in Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town saw the terrorists killing the school’s vice principal before making away with the hostages according to media reports.
Between the evening of the same November 17 and 19, at least 13 Christians were killed in separate attacks in Benue, Kaduna and Kwara States. The most prominent of these incidents is the kidnap of 38 Christian worshippers in Eruku, Kwara on November 18. TruthNigeria has reported how armed terrorists invaded a Church during a bright evening fellowship, killing five and kidnapping 38 others including the Pastor of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Eruku.
Local media reports say while the search for the hostages was still on, four other victims were seized from their farms in another part of Kwara – Bokungi Village, Edu county on November 19th. Two of the hostages were later killed by the captors according to Sahara reporters. Within the same period, coordinated assaults by Fulani terrorists resulted in multiple kidnappings—including two Catholic Church leaders—and the killing of a priest’s brother in the south of Kaduna. TruthNigeria reports the attacks, were carried out within a span of just 48 hours from November 17 to November 19, 2025. Five people were killed within the same period in separate attacks in Gwande and Katsina Ala counties in Benue State according to media reports.
The escalating attacks between November 17th and 20th have sent shockwaves across the country, causing many road users to cancel their planned trips and governments to shutdown schools, TruthNigeria has learned.
As of 6pm locally, states that have publicly announced the closure of high and elementary schools are Niger, Katsina, Benue, Plateau, and Kwara. All affected states cited safety concerns as their reasons, giving no timeframe for such closures.
Experts speaking to TruthNigeria say the terrorists are making steady progress intimidating and challenging local authorities.
“I fear we haven’t seen the last,” wrote Emmanuel Bagna Umar, a former commissioner for internal security in Niger State now a private security consultant.
‘It’s obvious that this reoccurring school attacks seems a strategic ploy to use the school kids as human shields,” wrote Bagna to TruthNigeria citing fears of a kinetic military deterrence action. I S. Congressman Reilly Moore had during the 20th November hearing ruled that possibility out for states within the middle belt region, pointing to an intelligence coordination effort by the State Department instead. Bagna noted intelligence on impending threats of terror attacks circulated prior to the incident. Niger State authorities confirmed the intelligence but blamed the St. Mary’s school authorities for failing to take precautions.
“The Niger State Government had earlier issued a clear directive suspending all construction activities and ordering the temporary closure of all boarding schools within the affected zone as a precautionary measure,” wrote Abubakar Usman, the Secretary to the Niger State Government in a statement.
“Regrettably, St. Mary’s School proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the State Government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk,” Usman wrote.
A former Major in the Nigerian Army, Gabriel Ad’Ofikwu told TruthNigeria, the terrorists might be aiming to embarrass the sitting government and mass wealth through ransom money before any foreign intervention.
“If you look at it from the political angle, it is to make murky and dirty the water as much they you can before the [next Presidential] elections come,” said Ad’Ofikwu. “This is merely a repeat of what happened to former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014 prior to the 2015 General elections,” Ofikwu opined.
“The want to make as much money as they can,” said Ad’Ofikwu. “They believe kidnapping is the cheapest way to make money,” Ad’Ofikwu said by telephone.
“But the most important thing I feel is for the new service chiefs – this is your opportunity to show your worth. Go full blast – deal decisively with them. Deal decisively with their sympathisers, deal decisively with their sponsors,” he said, expressing concerns with the over-concentration of national security powers in the hands of the National Security Adviser whom he said holds a non Executive position that should never override the roles and decisions of defense chiefs as is the current practice.
Masara Kim is an award winning conflict reporter in Jos and a senior Editor of TruthNigeria.
