The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora has confirmed that all pupils and staff abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, in Niger State, have been successfully released and reunited with their families.
In a statement signed by the Bishop of Kontagora, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, the Diocese said a comprehensive reconciliation and verification exercise confirmed that 230 persons were abducted during the November 21 attack in Agwara Local Government Area and that all have now regained their freedom.
According to the Diocese, the abducted victims comprised 12 staff members, 14 students, and 204 pupils. The Bishop stressed that no individual remains in captivity.
He explained that the reconciliation exercise was necessary due to conflicting figures reported in the immediate aftermath of the attack, which occurred amid panic and confusion. Initial records indicated that 315 individuals were missing, but further checks revealed that many had either escaped during the incident or reunited with their families independently.
By November 23, the number of missing persons had dropped to 265 after 50 individuals were confirmed safe. The Diocese clarified that, in total, 85 persons initially listed were either not abducted or had escaped, leaving the verified number of abducted persons at 230.
The Bishop said the discrepancies were not deliberate but resulted from the chaotic circumstances surrounding the attack, noting that some pupils fled into nearby bushes while others could not be immediately accounted for because their parents were absent during early headcounts.
The Diocese expressed gratitude to the Federal Government, the Niger State Government, and security agencies for their roles in securing the release of the victims, describing their intervention as crucial to the successful rescue.
The confirmation brings an end to weeks of anxiety following the attack on the boarding school, which sparked nationwide outrage and renewed concerns over the safety of schools across Nigeria.
