The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State has confirmed that 50 students abducted from St Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara LGA, have escaped and safely returned to their families.
The Niger State CAN chairman and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, revealed in a statement on Sunday that the pupils regained freedom between Friday and Saturday and quietly reunited with their relatives.
According to Bishop Yohanna, the school’s primary section has 430 pupils, including 377 boarders and 53 day students. He noted that apart from the 50 students who escaped, 141 pupils were not taken, while 236 students, three children of staff, 14 secondary school students, and 12 staff members are still in the custody of the abductors.
Reports indicate that gunmen attacked the school in the early hours of Friday, abducting an unspecified number of students and teachers. CAN later confirmed that 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers had been kidnapped in the raids.
The Niger State Government had previously received intelligence warning of increased security threats in the area. A government statement suggested that the school reopened without clearance, putting pupils and staff at risk.
Following the abductions, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu canceled his planned trip to the G20 summit in South Africa, with Vice President Kashim Shettima attending in his place, according to the presidency.
How can other abducted students be rescued, and what steps should the government take to ensure a safer learning environment in Nigeria?
