50 Abducted Niger State Pupils Escape, 260 Still in Captivity

50 Abducted Niger State Pupils Escape, 260 Still in Captivity

In a hopeful development, fifty pupils abducted from St. Mary’s Secondary and Primary School in Papiri, Niger State, have managed to escape from their captors and have been reunited with their families.

The news was confirmed on Sunday by the proprietor of the school, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who is also the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State.

The escape occurred on Saturday, following the mass abduction when armed men stormed the school in the early hours of Friday, shooting a security guard and seizing hundreds of victims.

Rev. Yohanna provided a detailed breakdown of the situation. Initially, he had reported that 215 students and 12 staff were abducted.

With the escape of the 50 pupils, the current number of those still being held is 236 primary school pupils, 14 secondary school students, 12 staff members, and three children of staff, bringing the total to 265.

He clarified that the school has a large boarding population, with 377 of its 430 primary pupils residing on campus. Security agencies are intensifying efforts to rescue the remaining victims.

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