Boys Brigade expresses concern over fate of abducted students in Niger

From John Adams Minna

The Boys Brigade of Nigeria, Niger State council, has appealed to both the state and federal governments to expedite action towards the safe return of the over 200 students of St Mary’s Catholic Missionary School Papiri in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State still being held in captivity.

President of the group and former commissioner for Information Culture and Tourism, Jonathan Vatsa, made the appeal in Minna during this year’s concert for 150 Trumpeters of the Boys Brigade with the theme: “Worship the King of Kings” at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Minna.

Vatsa who said the concert is dedicate to singing and praying for the quick and safe return of the students, pointed out that allowing the children to languish and spend the Christmas in captivity “will be heartbreaking for the parents if these children are allowed to spend their Christmas in captivity, we are all parents and we know what it means. That is why we are sending a strong appeal to both the state and the federal governments to fast-track the rescue and safe return of the children to their parents.”

On the importance of concert for 150 Trumpeters, Vatsa emphasised that it provides avenue to inculcate moral discipline on the youths who constitute the nucleus of the Boys Brigade, stressing that “when you constantly keep the youths in one place and engage them, they stay away from evil and morality.”

He argued that the rising crimes and criminalities including the current insurgency and banditry in the country could easily be traced to lack of proper moral upbringing.

He described the concert for 150 Trumpeters as one of the most significant events in the Boys Brigade calendar where children of God use the trumpet to sing the praises of God.

The president maintained that the theme of the concert was carefully selected to reflect the current situation in the country, adding that “we need to go back and seek his intervention. And you can do that through praise and worship.”

The concert for 150 Trumpeters marks the end of the Boys Brigade of Nigeria’s activities for 2025. All the battalions from the 25 local government areas attended the event.