Fifty out of the 303 schoolchildren who were kidnapped from a Catholic school in north-central Nigeria’s Niger state have managed to escape and reunite with their families, the school administration announced on Sunday. The escape of these children, aged between 10 and 18, occurred individually between Friday and Saturday, as confirmed by Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger state and the school’s owner.
As of now, 253 students and 12 teachers are still being held captive by the abductors, according to Yohanna. The children and teachers were abducted by armed gunmen during an attack on St. Mary’s School in the remote Papiri community of Niger state last Friday.
Despite the abductions, no group has claimed responsibility for the incident. Efforts to rescue the remaining victims are ongoing, with tactical squads and local hunters deployed by authorities. The circumstances surrounding the escape of the 50 children and their return home remain unclear, as there has been no immediate response from Nigeria’s military and police.
Yohanna expressed gratitude for the safe return of the escaped children while urging continued prayers for the rescue and safe return of those still in captivity. This incident in Niger state follows a similar abduction of 25 schoolchildren in Kebbi state’s Maga town just four days earlier, highlighting the prevalent issue of armed gangs using kidnapping for ransom in northern Nigeria.
Satellite images reveal that the school compound in Niger state is connected to a primary school and consists of over 50 classroom and dormitory buildings. School kidnappings have become synonymous with insecurity in Nigeria, with armed groups targeting schools to gain attention. In response to the recent attacks, Niger state has closed down all schools, and the Nigerian government has shut federal colleges in conflict-prone areas across the region.