Read on Global NewsMass School Abduction in Nigeria: 50 Children Escape, 253 Remain Captive
In one of Nigeria's largest school abductions, 50 of 303 schoolchildren have managed to escape captivity after being taken from St. Mary's Catholic School in Niger state. The children, aged 10-18, escaped individually between Friday and Saturday, providing some relief to distraught families. However, 253 students and 12 teachers remain held by armed kidnappers in the remote Papiri community, with no group claiming responsibility for the attack that has highlighted the ongoing security crisis in northern Nigeria.
In a devastating security incident that has shaken Nigeria's education system, armed assailants abducted 303 schoolchildren from St. Mary's Catholic School in Niger state's remote Papiri community. The attack, which occurred on Friday, represents one of the largest school abductions in Nigeria's history and has drawn international attention to the ongoing security challenges in the country's northern regions.
The Escape and Current Situation
According to the Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger state and proprietor of the school, fifty children managed to escape captivity individually between Friday and Saturday. These children, aged between 10 and 18 years old, have since been reunited with their families. However, the situation remains dire, with 253 schoolchildren and 12 teachers still held captive by the kidnappers.
The school authority confirmed the escape after conducting visits and contacting parents to verify the children's safety. "We were able to ascertain this when we decided to contact and visit some parents," Yohanna stated in an official statement. The circumstances surrounding their escape remain unclear, as authorities have not disclosed how the children managed to return home from their captivity.
Security Response and Regional Context
Nigerian authorities have deployed tactical squads alongside local hunters in an effort to rescue the remaining captives. The attack occurred just four days after another mass abduction in neighboring Kebbi state, where 25 schoolchildren were seized in similar circumstances in Maga town, located approximately 170 kilometers away.
Both Niger and Kebbi states are situated in northern Nigeria, where dozens of armed gangs have increasingly used kidnapping for ransom as a means of dominating remote communities with limited government and security presence. The region has become a hotspot for such attacks, with schools often targeted as "strategic" locations that draw significant attention to the kidnappers' demands.
Immediate Consequences and Broader Implications
In response to the attack, Niger state authorities have hurriedly closed down all schools in the area as a precautionary measure. Some federal colleges in conflict hotspots across the region have also been closed by the Nigerian government, reflecting the seriousness of the security situation.
The St. Mary's School compound, as shown in satellite imagery, is attached to an adjoining primary school and features more than 50 classroom and dormitory buildings. Its location near a major road linking the towns of Yelwa and Mokwa may have contributed to its vulnerability to such attacks.
School kidnappings have become a defining feature of insecurity in Africa's most populous nation, raising serious concerns about the safety of educational institutions in conflict-affected regions. As Yohanna urged continued prayers for the safe return of the remaining victims, the incident underscores the urgent need for enhanced security measures and comprehensive strategies to protect students and educational facilities across Nigeria.
