The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, has confirmed that 50 pupils of St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, have escaped from their abductors and reunited with their parents.
Reverend Yohanna, who is the Proprietor of the school, disclosed that the students escaped between Friday and Saturday but were unable to return to the school.
The development came to light when some parents informed the school of their children’s safe return, while school staff discovered others during visits to families.
Providing an update on the school’s population, Yohanna said the primary section has 430 pupils, including 377 boarders and 53 non-boarders.
The total number of secondary students is still being verified, as many records were destroyed during the abduction.
“Currently, aside from the 50 pupils who escaped and returned home, 141 pupils were not taken. As it stands, 236 pupils remain in captivity, along with three children of staff, 14 secondary students, and 12 members of staff,” Yohanna stated.
It was previously reported by the Principal, Rev. Sr. Felicia Gyang, that the bandits initially targeted the primary school dormitory. To protect other students, the principal and fellow sisters guided secondary school pupils into nearby bushes to evade the abductors.
Yohanna, who also serves as Niger State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), called for prayers for the safe and speedy release of the remaining abducted children and adults.
“As much as we receive the return of these 50 children that escaped with some sigh of relief, I urge you all to continue in your prayers for the rescue and safe return of the remaining victims. I want to call on everyone to remain calm and prayerful as we will continue to actively collaborate with security operatives, community leaders, government, and relevant authorities for the safe and quick return of all abductees.”
However, in a related development, the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, described the incident as more of a scare and of missing people rather than a kidnapping, stressing that it was quick to conclude that it was a case of abduction and for any figures to have been revealed.
“Yes, there was a scare, sporadic gunshots, and the children ran because they were targeted. And from the Google imagery, there was no mass movement of people, but people running up and down”, he said.
He, however, confirmed that some of the children have been found and reunited with their families, adding that efforts are being intensified to find the rest soon.
Speaking on TVC News Live at 10 pm on Saturday, the Governor sought calm from all residents of the state over the incident, assuring that security agencies are not leaving any stone unturned to ensure the children are rescued unhurt.
He also stressed that the incident was avoidable, stating that it is not the time for a blame game but to correct all mistakes, get the children back, reunite them with their families, and forge ahead.
He again applauded the federal government for tremendous support, especially in terms of personnel and equipment to aid in surveillance and rescue operations.
