Fifty pupils abducted during the attack on St Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State have escaped from captivity, Okay News reports.
The development was announced on Sunday in a statement by Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, Chairman of the Niger State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Catholic Bishop of the Kontagora Diocese.
According to Yohanna, the pupils regained freedom between Friday and Saturday but did not immediately return to the school. Instead, they quietly reunited with their families, prompting officials to begin tracing them.
“The pupils escaped between Friday and Saturday and have reunited with their parents as they could not return to the school after they escaped,” he said.
“We were able to ascertain this when we decided to contact and visit some parents.”
Yohanna provided a detailed breakdown of the school’s population at the time of the attack:
- The primary section has 430 pupils, of which 377 are boarders and 53 are day students.
- 50 pupils who escaped are now safely at home.
- 141 pupils were never taken away during the attack.
- 236 pupils remain with the abductors, along with 3 children belonging to staff members, 14 secondary school students, and 12 members of staff — bringing the total number of people still in captivity to 253.
The CAN chairman called for continued calm and prayers as efforts intensify to secure the release of those still held by the attackers.
“We urge everyone to remain calm and prayerful as we collaborate with security agencies, community leaders, and government authorities to ensure the safe and swift return of all abductees,” Yohanna added.
