Fifty out of the 303 students abducted from a Catholic school in north-central Nigeria’s Niger state have managed to flee and reunite with their families, the school administration announced on Sunday. This development comes as a relief to some families following one of the largest school kidnappings in Nigeria’s history.
The escaped schoolchildren, ranging from 10 to 18 years old, made their way to safety individually between Friday and Saturday, as stated by Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger state and the school’s owner. Currently, 253 students and 12 teachers remain in captivity, according to Yohanna.
The students and teachers were taken by armed assailants during an attack on St. Mary’s School in the remote Papiri community of Niger state on Friday. Despite the incident, no group has claimed responsibility for the abductions. Authorities have deployed tactical squads and local hunters in efforts to rescue the remaining hostages.
The exact location of the captives and the details of how the escaped children made it back home are still unclear. The Nigerian military and police have not provided immediate responses to inquiries.
While the return of the 50 escaped children brings some relief, Yohanna urged continued prayers for the safe rescue of the remaining victims. This incident in Niger state occurred shortly after another abduction of 25 schoolchildren in a neighboring town, highlighting the prevalence of such incidents in the northern region of Nigeria.
Kidnappings targeting schools have become a symbol of insecurity in Nigeria, with armed gangs often targeting educational institutions to gain attention. Following the attack in Niger state, all schools in the region were promptly closed, and the Nigerian government shut down federal colleges in conflict-prone areas across the country.
