Fifty of the schoolchildren abducted from St Mary’s co-educational school in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, have escaped and have reunited with their families, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said on Sunday.
“We have received some good news as fifty pupils escaped and have reunited with their parents,” CAN stated, adding that the students regained freedom between Friday and Saturday.
The mass abduction, carried out by gunmen on Friday, involved 303 children and 12 teachers, making it one of the largest school kidnappings in Nigeria.
“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,” CAN chairman in Niger State, Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, said.
He noted that the pupils who escaped were initially unable to return to the school, but were later traced after officials contacted and visited some of their parents.
Authorities in Niger State ordered the closure of all schools on Saturday in response to the attack.
Friday’s abduction follows a string of recent attacks in northern Nigeria. On Monday, gunmen abducted 25 girls from a secondary school in neighbouring Kebbi State, while an attack on a church in Kwara State left two people dead and 38 others abducted.
The number of students abducted from St Mary’s represents almost half of the school’s student population of 629.
President Bola Tinubu cancelled foreign trips, including attendance at the G20 summit in South Africa, to address the country’s escalating security challenges.
Pope Leo XIV made “a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages” during the Angelus prayer on Sunday. He expressed his “deep sorrow, especially for the many young boys and girls kidnapped and for their anguished families.”
The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora has also released the names of the 50 students who escaped. The names are below.
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- Samson Bitrus
- Justina Adamu
- Emmanuel Francis
- Keziah Musa
- Amos Mathew
- Lawrence James
- Timothy Peter
- Lawrence Yohanna
- Ayuba Victor
- Marcus Bulus
- Bulus Emmanuel
- Mariam Joshua
- Bulus Samaila
- Mathew Dauda
- Caleb Hosea
- Micah Luka
- Catherine Emmanuel
- Michael Jacob
- Christopher Ezekiel
- Musa Timothy
- Dominic Daniel
- Naomi Bulus
- Dominic Elisha
- Nicodemus Ibrahim
- Elisha Harunna
- Peter Jonathan
- Elisha Yakubu
- Pricillia Peter
- Ezekiel Emmanuel
- Emmanuel Godwin
- Ezekiel Joel
- Samaila Dauda
- Ezekiel Pius
- Stephen Anthony
- Ezra James
- Sunday Shedrack
- Friday Joel
- Gloria Jeremiah
- Veronica Iliya
- Victoria Ishaku
- Godiya Mathew
- Vincent Emmanuel
- Iliya Philip
- Wisdom Fabian
- Ishaya David
- Yakubu Saminu
- Joseph Sunday
- Yunusa Musa
- Julius Paul
- Yusuf Sunday
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