Fifty pupils abducted from St. Mary’s Secondary and Primary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State have escaped from captivity, bringing a glimmer of relief amid the devastating mass abduction that occurred on Friday. Armed men had stormed the school in the early hours, shooting a security guard and abducting over 200 pupils and students, along with 13 teaching and non-teaching staff.
The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State and proprietor of the school, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, initially confirmed that 215 students and 12 staff were kidnapped. By Saturday, he noted that 88 more students could not be accounted for. However, in an update issued on Sunday through his aide, Daniel Atori, the Reverend announced that 50 pupils had managed to escape and reunite with their families.
Providing further details, Rev. Yohanna explained that the school runs both boarding and day sessions, with 430 pupils in the primary section, 377 boarders and 53 day students. He stated that aside from the 50 who escaped and 141 pupils who were not taken, 236 pupils, three children of staff members, 14 secondary school students, and 12 staff remain in captivity. Security agencies are intensifying efforts to rescue the remaining victims.