Fifty kidnapped pupils escape as St. Mary’s school abduction toll rises

Fifty pupils abducted from St. Mary’s Secondary and Primary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, have regained their freedom after escaping from their captors, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

Armed attackers stormed the school in the early hours of Friday, shooting a security guard and taking more than 200 pupils and students, along with 13 teaching and non-teaching staff. Initial figures provided by the school proprietor and Niger State CAN Chairman, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, placed the number of abducted individuals at 215 students and 12 staff members.

By Saturday, the situation worsened as an additional 88 students were reported missing.

In a statement released on Sunday by his aide, Daniel Atori, Rev. Yohanna confirmed a significant development: fifty of the abducted pupils managed to escape on Saturday and have since been reunited with their families.

“As of Sunday, 23rd November 2025, we have received some good news as fifty (50) pupils escaped and have reunited with their parents,” the statement read.

Rev. Yohanna clarified that St. Mary’s runs both boarding and day school programmes, with the primary section alone enrolling 430 pupils — 377 boarders and 53 day students.

He further explained: “Aside from the 50 pupils who escaped, we still have 141 pupils who were not abducted. Presently, 236 pupils, three children of staff, 14 secondary school students, and 12 staff members remain in captivity.”

Security agencies, he noted, are intensifying efforts to track and rescue those still held, though neither the police nor the military have issued official updates on ongoing operations.

The mass kidnapping — one of the largest recorded in Nigeria this year — has sparked national outrage and renewed demands for tougher action against bandit groups operating across Niger State and other regions in the North.