Fifty abducted students regain freedom in Niger – CAN

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has announced that 50 of the children abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Niger State, have escaped.

In a statement on Sunday, Daniel Atori, media aide to the CAN Chairman in Niger State, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna—who is also the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese—confirmed that the children escaped between Friday and Saturday.

“We have received good news as fifty pupils escaped and have reunited with their parents,” the statement said. “They fled between Friday and Saturday and went straight home instead of returning to the school. We were able to verify this after contacting and visiting some of the parents.”

Providing updated figures, CAN noted that the primary school has 430 pupils, of whom 377 are boarders and 53 are day students.

“Besides the 50 pupils who escaped and returned home, 141 pupils were not taken. At the moment, 236 pupils, three children of staff, 14 secondary school students—making a total of 253 children—along with 12 staff members remain with the abductors,” the statement added.

Bishop Yohanna, who owns the school, appealed for calm and urged continued prayers for the rescue of those still held captive.

“While we welcome the escape of these 50 children with relief, we ask everyone to keep praying for the safe return of the remaining victims. We continue to work closely with security agencies, community leaders, the government, and all relevant authorities,” he said. “May the Lord grant the quick release of those abducted and protect His people from all harm.”

More than 300 students were seized when terrorists attacked the school on Friday. Although early reports estimated 227 victims, CAN’s verification put the total number abducted at 315—comprised of 303 students and 12 teachers.

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Bishop Yohanna explained that the revised figure emerged after further checks revealed that 88 additional students had been taken while attempting to escape.

“Some parents whose children we believed had escaped returned to ask about them, prompting a fresh census. That was when we discovered those students were also abducted,” he said.