Heartbreak in Niger: Father of Three Abducted Schoolgirls Dies of Heart Attack – Northern CAN President

Reverend John Hayab, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the Northern region and Federal Capital Territory, has revealed that Mr. Anthony, one of the parents of schoolchildren kidnapped in Niger State, passed away from a heart attack following the kidnapping of three of his children.
In an interview with Arise TV’s Prime Time program on Tuesday, Hayab said that following a string of kidnappings across states, the previous week has been “traumatic” for families, security services, and community leaders.

Hayab responded to the news of Kebbi Schoolgirls’ release by saying, “It’s not necessarily cheerful news, but congratulations to the parents, congratulations to the girls themselves, and congratulations to the government of Kebbi State.”
On November 17, 2025, twenty-four (24) students from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, were kidnapped. However, after days of uncertainty, the girls’ release on Tuesday, November 25, brought some relief.

But Hayab revealed that another family in Niger State had also experienced misfortune, with children being kidnapped earlier.

He remarked, “Many Nigerians are unaware of this.” “Mr. Anthony, one of the parents, passed away from a heart attack yesterday (Monday) as a result of three of his children being affected.”
According to the CAN leader, the emotional toll on the impacted families was severe.

“The trauma, the pain,” he bemoaned. “We made an effort to contact several of the parents today (Tuesday) by providing their phone numbers. Even answering calls makes them nervous.

Hayab clarified that he had spoken with Kontagora church leaders, who verified the father’s passing and mentioned that many parents were still in shock while they awaited word on their kids.

He added that security agencies had been “on their toes” during the past ten days due to growing public apprehension, and he mentioned that prayers had been held earlier in Kebbi.

Everyone appears to be anxious, irate, and troubled. Kebbi’s children were taken away within seven days. Next, we discussed the kidnapping of children in Niger, followed by the gun attack and kidnapping in Kwara. When you combine all of this, you can see that our security men, parents, and leaders have had a very trying week.

In response to worries about security in Niger State, the president of CAN acknowledged that residents have voiced dissatisfaction over the absence of a visible military presence.

“Now, it is the responsibility of the Nigerian security agencies to make sure that we don’t only discuss this on TV or in publications. People want to see tangible results.

The psychological effects on the rescued females in Kebbi were also emphasized by Hayab.

These kids are accustomed to getting up in the morning, cleaning their teeth, eating breakfast, or taking a tea break. In recent days, these kids haven’t slept at all. He emphasized the pain and upheaval these kids probably experienced while in captivity by saying, “These kids haven’t done those kinds of things.”