Fifty students who were abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara LGA, are now safe after successfully escaping captivity, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State.
In a Sunday statement, CAN Chairman and Catholic Bishop of the Kontagora Diocese, Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, said the students regained their freedom over the period of Friday and Saturday and have since “quietly reunited with their families.”
Yohanna added that the students’ inability to immediately return to the school necessitated officials contacting parents to verify the whereabouts of those who escaped.
“The pupils escaped between Friday and Saturday and have reunited with their parents as they could not return to the school after they escaped,” the statement reads.
“We were able to ascertain this when we decided to contact and visit some parents.
“Note that, in the primary section out of the total number of 430 pupils we have in the school, 377 of them are boarders and the remaining 53 others are non boarders.
“Currently, aside from the 50 pupils that escaped and have returned home, we have 141 pupils who were not carried away.
“As it stands now, we have 236 pupils, another 3 children who belong to our staff, 14 Secondary students making a total 253 children including 12 members of staff with the abductors.”
Yohanna appealed for continued support and calm as efforts intensify to secure the release of the remaining abductees.
“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,” he said.
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