Fifty children escape after a mass school abduction in Nigeria

Fifty students have escaped captivity following one of Nigeria’s most alarming school kidnappings, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

The students fled individually, between Friday and Saturday, and have since reunited with their families.

The abduction took place at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, in Niger State, where gunmen stormed the campus and seized more than 300 people, including students aged between 10 and 18, and at least 12 teachers. According to CAN, after the escape, 253 children and 12 staff members are still being held by their captors.

Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of CAN in Niger State and proprietor of the school, confirmed the safe return of the 50 pupils but urged continued prayers for the rest. He also stated that some of the students who were not taken, about 141 pupils, have also been verified and accounted for.

The school’s boarding structure made it a particularly vulnerable target, according to church officials. In the aftermath of the abduction, local and state security forces, including tactical squads and local community trackers, have been mobilised to locate the remaining hostages.

Niger State’s governor has ordered all schools in the region to close indefinitely in response to the incident, underscoring the growing security crisis. The abduction comes just days after another major attack in nearby Kebbi State, where 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped in a separate incident.

Leaders across Nigeria and beyond have condemned the kidnapping. CAN has called for calm and collective support in securing the release of the remaining abducted students and teachers.

Sources: Al Jazeera, The Guardian, ABC News, The Nation (Nigeria), Independent Nigeria