The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the Northern Region and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Rev. John Hayab, has said that a parent of three children abducted from St Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State died of a heart attack shortly after the incident.

Speaking during an interview with ARISE News on Tuesday, Hayab said the man, identified only as Mr. Anthony, was unable to cope with the shock of losing his children. The abduction formed part of a series of recent kidnappings involving schools in Kebbi, Kwara, and Niger states.
“People want to see concrete action.

Imagine a mother or a father whose daughter… one of the parents (Mr Anthony) of these girls picked in the school, died yesterday of a heart attack because three of his children are victims,” he said.
Hayab said the trauma felt by affected families remained intense, noting that parents were increasingly fearful of speaking publicly.

“The pains and the trauma are still very fresh. We tried speaking to the parents today, and they were scared of speaking to us,” he said.

Addressing church officials in Kontagora, he described the emotional toll on families still waiting for information about missing children.

“It was a very sad thing. You can imagine a man in shock because three children… he would not know what to explain, what is happening to them.”

Hayab added that reports from locals indicated no visible security presence in the communities affected by the abductions. He argued that citizens expected practical intervention rather than official statements. “The onus is now on the Nigerian security agencies to ensure that we don’t speak about this on television. People want to see concrete action,” he said.

He disclosed that 50 senior students who fled during the attack returned on their own, but more than 265 pupils, many between the ages of nine and 14, were still missing. Earlier on 23 November, CAN officials in Niger State reported that 50 abducted pupils from another incident had escaped and reunited with their families.

Hayab welcomed the release of 24 schoolgirls abducted in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, confirmed by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, but said families remained “traumatised” and that the events highlighted systemic failures in Nigeria’s security structure.
He criticised what he described as the misallocation of security personnel.

“A large chunk of those who are supposed to secure Nigerians are securing VIPs. Many police officers are guarding banks. Banks should recruit their own security, but they are taking advantage of what is going on,” he said.

He argued that Nigeria had the manpower to confront insecurity if resources were properly deployed. “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,” he added.

His comments came as the Nigeria Police Force Special Protection Unit directed officers attached to VIPs nationwide to return to their bases, following a directive issued by President Bola Tinubu on 23 November ordering the withdrawal of police from VIP duties.

Atiku blows hot

Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticised the Federal Government’s handling of the recent mass abductions. Reacting to comments by Onanuga, who said security agencies knew the identities and locations of the bandit groups but faced constraints because civilians were held captive near the hideouts, Atiku said the government was attempting to “whitewash a national tragedy.”

He argued that the release of abductees should not be regarded as an achievement. “Truth be told, the release of abducted Nigerians is not a trophy moment; it is a damning reminder that terrorists now operate freely, negotiate openly, and dictate terms while this administration issues press statements to save face,” he said.

Atiku said Onanuga’s comments suggested that the government either failed to act despite having intelligence or overstated its capacity. “Either way, the statement is an embarrassing admission that this administration has lost control of national security and is now trying to spin incompetence into achievement,” he said.

He added that Nigerians deserved protection, not “fairy tales by moonlight.”