Fifty out of the 303 students who were kidnapped 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 authorities on Sunday. This development has brought relief to many families following one of the largest school abductions in Nigeria’s history.
The schoolchildren, ranging in age from 10 to 18, escaped 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 in captivity, as stated by Yohanna.
The students and teachers were abducted by armed gunmen who attacked St. Mary’s School in the remote Papiri community of Niger state on Friday. No group has claimed responsibility for the abductions yet, and authorities have deployed tactical squads and local hunters to rescue the remaining victims.
While 50 children have escaped, the whereabouts of the remaining captives are still unknown, and efforts are ongoing to secure their safe return. The military and police in Nigeria have not provided immediate responses regarding the situation.
The incident in Niger state occurred shortly after a similar abduction in Kebbi state’s Maga town, 170 kilometers away. Both states are located in a northern region of Nigeria where armed gangs frequently resort to kidnapping for ransom to exert control over communities lacking sufficient government and security presence.
In response to the attack, Niger state swiftly closed down all schools, and the Nigerian government also closed federal colleges in conflict-prone areas across the region. School kidnappings have become emblematic of the insecurity in Nigeria, with armed groups targeting educational institutions to garner attention and leverage in negotiations.