Nigeria is facing a deepening security crisis as the government faces accusations of inaction following the abduction of over 250 children from a Catholic boarding school in Niger state. Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, the region’s leading Catholic cleric, criticized the government for making “no meaningful effort” to rescue the students. However, Niger state’s police chief, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, countered these claims, alleging that the school had failed to cooperate with search and rescue operations. The abductions, attributed to criminal gangs seeking ransom, highlight the widespread insecurity plaguing the country. This incident is the third mass kidnapping in Nigeria within a week, following the abduction of 20 Muslim schoolgirls in Kebbi state and an attack on a church in Kwara state that left two dead and dozens abducted. President Bola Tinubu canceled his attendance at the G20 summit in South Africa to address the crisis, announcing the rescue of 38 worshippers in Kwara state. Meanwhile, the US has threatened military intervention if Nigeria fails to protect its Christian population, with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth meeting Nigeria’s National Security Adviser to discuss counterterrorism efforts. The Nigerian government denies allegations of religious persecution, attributing the violence to criminality, extremism, and land disputes. Amid the turmoil, many boarding schools have closed, and authorities in Lagos are enhancing security at schools and places of worship.