50 Abducted Catholic School Students Escape

Fifty out of more than 300 children kidnapped from St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Agwara local government, Niger State, have allegedly escaped and reunited with their parents.

“We have received some good news as fifty pupils escaped and have reunited with their parents,” said the Christian Association of Nigeria in a statement, adding they escaped between Friday and Saturday.

Recall that the incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, when armed men stormed the school, abducting more than 300 students and a dozen teachers.

The Christian Association of Nigeria confirmed the revised figures after a verification exercise, stating that 303 students and 12 teachers were taken.

The number of abductions surpasses those recorded during the 2014 Chibok schoolgirl abduction.

Police reported that the attackers arrived around 02:00 local time (01:00 GMT) and took students who were staying in the boarding facilities.

Security forces are reportedly combing nearby forests in an effort to rescue the remaining abductees.

Authorities in Niger State ordered the closure of all schools in the state on Saturday in response to the attack.

Officials stated that the school had disregarded prior instructions to suspend boarding operations following intelligence warnings, thereby exposing students and staff to an “avoidable risk.”

The school has yet to comment on this statement.