Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Nigerian embassy in Madrid to show support for Christians kidnapped in Nigeria, following the abduction of more than 250 children from a Catholic school and several other attacks in recent weeks. Christiana Wariboko of the National Youth Council of Nigeria urged international organisations and governments to “please intervene and do something as it regards [to] the killings of Nigerian Christians.”
The demonstrations come amid multiple mass kidnappings, including the abduction of 30 students from a Muslim school in Kebbi, as security experts warn schools remain easy targets for gunmen motivated by ransom. The surge in attacks has drawn attention after US President Donald Trump threatened military action over alleged persecution of Christians, although human rights experts note that more Muslims have been killed by Boko Haram.
The Nigerian government argues that claims of Christian persecution “misrepresent a complex security situation,” while President Bola Tinubu has declared a state of emergency to strengthen policing as at least 1,799 students have been kidnapped since 2014.