Heartbreaking Tragedy: Father Dies in Agony While Children Remain Hostages in Papiri School Abduction Nightmare
By Passman Akpos
Papiri, Niger State — The nightmare that has gripped St. Mary’s Catholic School took a gut-wrenching turn on Monday as Anthony Musa, a devoted father of three kidnapped pupils, succumbed to despair and illness at New Bussa General Hospital.
For days, Musa battled relentless anxiety and severe hypertension, desperate for any word on the fate of his children. But in a cruel twist of fate, he never got to see them released. His death has ignited fury and sorrow across the nation, highlighting the human toll of the ongoing terrorist menace that continues to torment Nigerian communities.
The horrifying abduction, carried out during a predawn raid, saw 265 victims—253 students and 12 staff—plucked from safety into the hands of ruthless terrorists. While a handful of students were later found, scores remain missing, leaving families like Musa’s trapped in unbearable limbo, their lives shattered by fear, grief, and unanswered questions.
“This is a tragedy that could have been prevented. These families are suffering, yet there seems to be no immediate action to secure the release of these innocent children,” said one distraught community member.
Musa’s death is a stark reminder of the psychological agony inflicted on parents by Nigeria’s worsening security crisis. Citizens are now demanding urgent government intervention, questioning why such terror continues to strike schools, the supposed sanctuaries of learning and safety.
As families mourn and rage grows over the apparent inaction, the nation watches anxiously, hoping the remaining children are returned alive—while the memory of Anthony Musa’s suffering haunts a country already pushed to the brink.
