Fifty out of the 303 schoolchildren who were taken from a Catholic school in north-central Nigeria’s Niger state have managed to escape and reunite with their families, as confirmed by the school authority on Sunday. This development has brought relief to several distressed families following one of the largest school abductions in Nigeria’s history.
The children, ranging from 10 to 18 years old, fled individually between Friday and Saturday, according to Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger state and the school’s owner. Presently, 253 students and 12 teachers remain captive with the abductors, as stated in a release by Yohanna.
The abduction took place when armed individuals attacked St. Mary’s School in the remote Papiri community of Niger state. Although no group has claimed responsibility for the incident, authorities have deployed tactical teams and local hunters to rescue the remaining hostages.
The exact location where the abducted children are being held and the circumstances surrounding the escape of the fifty children who returned home are still unclear. The Nigerian military and police have not responded to inquiries regarding the situation.
“While we are relieved by the escape of these 50 children, we urge everyone to continue praying for the safe rescue of the remaining victims,” Yohanna emphasized.
The assault in Niger state occurred shortly after a similar incident in Maga town, Kebbi state, where 25 schoolchildren were abducted. Both states are situated in the northern part of Nigeria, known for the presence of numerous armed groups resorting to kidnapping as a means of exerting control over vulnerable communities.
Satellite imagery reveals that the school compound in Niger state is connected to a neighboring primary school, comprising over 50 classroom and dormitory structures, located near a key road linking Yelwa and Mokwa towns.
School abductions have become emblematic of the insecurity in Nigeria, with armed groups targeting educational institutions to gain attention. In response to the recent attack, Niger state promptly shut down all schools, while the Nigerian government closed several federal colleges in conflict-prone areas across the region.