On Sunday, officials confirmed that fifty of the 303 students abducted from a Catholic school on Friday had successfully escaped and were reunited with their families. This development occurred as schools throughout Niger state remain closed following the attack.
The Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who serves as both the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger state and the proprietor of the school, stated that the students, aged 10 to 18, managed to escape individually over the course of Friday and Saturday.
Yohanna confirmed that 253 students from St. Mary’s School are still being held captive, noting, “We were able to ascertain this when we decided to contact and visit some parents.”
Authorities have not disclosed further details regarding the children’s escape or the whereabouts of the students and teachers who remain captive.
The Pope appealed for the immediate release of the abducted children and school staff, expressing his “deep sadness” over the incident during a Mass held in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday.
“I feel great sorrow, especially for the many girls and boys who have been abducted and for their anguished families,” the pontiff stated. “I make a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages and urge the competent authorities to take appropriate and timely decisions to ensure their release.”
According to The Associated Press, no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The news agency further reported that tactical squads and local hunters are actively engaged in efforts to rescue the abducted children, as stated by authorities.
Following Friday’s attack, Niger State promptly ordered the closure of all schools. Concurrently, the Nigerian government also moved to close several federal colleges situated in conflict-prone zones across the region.
The attack at St. Mary’s occurred only four days after an earlier assault by armed men, which resulted in the death of at least one staff member. The search for the girls who went missing in that prior incident is still ongoing.
In a separate development, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq announced on Sunday that 38 worshippers who were abducted during an incident in central Nigeria’s Kwara State have been released. Gunmen had launched an attack on the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku town on Tuesday, claiming two lives and seizing others as hostages. President Bola Tinubu attributed their release to “the efforts of security agencies” but did not provide additional information.
Nigeria has experienced a succession of attacks targeting Christians and their establishments, leading the U.S. President to designate the West African nation as a “country of particular concern.” Nevertheless, the Nigerian government has challenged these claims made by the U.S.
“I’m really angry about it,” the president told Radio on Friday. “What’s happening in Nigeria is a disgrace.”
Digital’s Rachel Wolf and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report, along with