The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora has announced the successful rescue and reunification of all children and staff abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Schools, Papiri, in Niger State.
The confirmation was given on Thursday by Rev. Bulus Yohanna, the Proprietor of St. Mary Catholic Private Primary and Secondary School and a representative of the Diocese, in an official statement.
According to him, a total of 230 people, including 12 staff members, 14 students and 204 pupils, were verified to have been abducted during the incident before being rescued through the combined efforts of the Federal Government, the Niger State Government and security agencies.
Yohanna stated that all the rescued children have since been reunited with their families, stressing that there is no record of any child still missing.
He explained that following the abduction on November 21, an initial headcount indicated that 315 persons were unaccounted for. However, two days later, on November 23, about 50 individuals earlier listed as missing reportedly escaped and returned to their parents, bringing the figure down to 265.
“A joint verification exercise by the state government, security agencies and school authorities later revealed that not all parents were present during the exercise.
“A second and final verification conducted by the school authorities in collaboration with the Parents-Teachers Association established that an additional 35 persons had either not been abducted or had escaped earlier,” he said.
Yohanna further clarified that of the original 315 persons reported missing, 85 were eventually confirmed to have either escaped or not been abducted at all, leaving the verified number of abducted persons at 230.
He attributed the discrepancies in the initial figures to the confusion that followed the attack, noting that some pupils ran into nearby bushes and could not be accounted for immediately, while the absence of some parents during verification also affected the process.
He stressed that the inconsistencies were not deliberate. “They were the result of challenges associated with a fast-evolving and emotionally charged situation,” he said.
The cleric expressed appreciation to the government and security agencies for their swift response, while also thanking parents, the Christian community, the media and the general public for their prayers, understanding and support.
He concluded by offering prayers for healing and full recovery for all families affected by the traumatic incident.
