Tag Archives: schoolchildren

Nigeria: Armed bandits kidnap 52 children from Catholic boarding school

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OAN Staff Blake Wolf 1: 15 PM Friday, November 21, 2025 Armed bandits attacked St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school on Friday in the Papiri community of Agwara, Niger State, Nigeria, at around 2 a. m. local time, abducting at least 52 schoolchildren, along with an unspecified number of staff. However, while the majority of reports mention “52” schoolchildren being taken, other sources suggest that even more may have been taken. This occurred despite a prior government warning to boarding schools in the area to close due to heightened threats which the school ignored according to surfacing reports. Meanwhile, the international community has expressed growing outrage over the escalating violence in Nigeria, where Islamic militants have targeted both Protestant and Catholic communities. However, the identities of the most recent attackers are currently unknown, and no organization has publicly taken credit for the raid. “Police tactical units, military components and other security agencies have moved to the scene, combing the forests with a view to rescue the abducted students,” local police wrote in a statement. The school educates students aged 12-17 years old. During the attack, a school security staffer was also “badly shot,” according to the Associated Press, citing a statement released by the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora. Following the attack, the Niger state government released a statement revealing that the “unfortunate incident comes despite prior intelligence” warning of threats, and the governor’s order to temporarily close all boarding schools in the region. “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,” stated Abubakar Usam, the secretary to the Niger state government. The kidnappings follow a string of violence and kidnappings in Nigeria, including the abduction of 25 schoolgirls in the nearby Kebbi state on Monday. Analysts say that bandits often target schools and travelers for ransom, which is especially common in northern Nigeria. On Tuesday, rapper and singer Nicki Minaj delivered a four-minute speech at a U. S.-organized event at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, focusing on the escalating violence against Christians in Nigeria. The panel, titled “Combating Religious Violence and the Killing of Christians in Nigeria,” was hosted by U. S. Ambassador Mike Waltz and featured faith leaders and victims. “In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted, driven from their homes and killed. Churches have been burned. Families have been torn apart and entire communities live in fear constantly, simply because of how they pray,” Manaj stated. “Sadly, this problem is not only a growing problem in Nigeria, but also in so many other countries across the world, and it demands urgent action,” she continued. “And I want to be clear, protecting Christians in Nigeria is not about taking sides or dividing people. It is about uniting humanity.” Additionally, at the start of November, President Donald Trump threatened to send the military into Nigeria to “completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists” slaughtering Christians. “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U. S. A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” Trump wrote at the time. “I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!” Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments! Sponsored Content Below Share this post!.
https://www.oann.com/newsroom/nigeria-armed-bandits-kidnap-52-children-from-catholic-boarding-school/

Jamie Oliver’s little-known royal godparent role revealed

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Sophie Winkleman has opened up about her famous friends in a recent interview, including one of her daughters’ godparents.

The 45-year-old actress, who is married to Lord Frederick Windsor, is close friends with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. The pair first met while filming *Food Revolution USA* back in 2011. When Sophie and Frederick’s second daughter, Isabella, was born in 2016, the couple chose Jamie to be one of her godparents. The christening took place in the Chapel at Kensington Palace when Isabella was just five months old.

Isabella wore the royal christening gown, which has also been worn by Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. The Honiton lace gown is a replica of one made for Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Victoria, in 1841.

Speaking to *The Times*, Sophie praised Jamie Oliver, saying:
“Jamie’s trying to do something good. It’s another weird British thing: if someone tries to put themselves above the parapet, people hurl rocks at them. He could just be a loaded chef and [headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh] could be in charge of the best school in Britain, but instead they try to change lives.”

Jamie, now 50, rose to fame on his BBC Two series *The Naked Chef* in 1999—a reference to the simplicity of his recipes. Since then, he has fronted many TV shows and authored numerous cookbooks. He is also the owner of several restaurants, including Jamie Oliver Catherine Street in Covent Garden.

In 2005, Jamie launched the campaign *Feed Me Better* to introduce healthier foods to schoolchildren. The campaign was later backed by the government. He shares five children with his wife, Juliette “Jools” Norton.

Sophie also revealed that Jamie made her a special cake for her 40th birthday five years ago—a chocolate layer cake topped with Twix and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

### Family Life and Views on Education

Sophie and Frederick, who married at Hampton Court Palace in 2009, currently live in London with their two daughters. The couple spent the first seven years of their marriage living in Los Angeles, where their eldest daughter, Maud, was born in 2013. Their second daughter, Isabella, was born in 2016 at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London.

Speaking to *The Times*, Sophie shared that her parents, who live nearby, help out a lot. “We rely on them so much. I’m very strict with them. They’re not allowed to get ill; they have to eat just kale and beetroot for the rest of their lives,” she joked.

Sophie is also outspoken about her opposition to screen-based learning in schools for children. She has organized talks and events on the subject. “Silicon Valley guys send their children to schools where the tech use is unbelievably moderate because they know how addictive this stuff is, and yet we’re lapping it all up like idiots,” she said.

“It’s absolute junk but it looks progressive and shiny, so billions are being invested into it that should go into having more teachers in state schools, with higher salaries. I don’t understand why decision-makers don’t talk to teachers, who see how rubbish this all is. Or to doctors—they are seeing so many bad effects from too much screen use: eyesight issues, hormone disruption, sleep imbalance, posture deformation.”

While Sophie admits that her eldest daughter, Maud, now owns a smartphone, she does not have social media accounts.
https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/867506/jamie-oliver-surprising-royal-godparent-role/