Fifty pupils abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Secondary and Primary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, have escaped from captivity, returning home to anxious parents after a terrifying 48-hour ordeal.
The mass abduction occurred on Friday when heavily armed gunmen stormed the boarding school shortly after midnight, rounding up students and teachers in one of the largest school kidnappings recorded in Niger State in recent years. Initial records from the school and local authorities indicate that over 315 people were taken — 303 pupils and 12 teachers — before the attackers fled toward the expansive forest belt linking Niger, Kebbi and Benin Republic.
According to the proprietor of the school and Niger State CAN Chairman, Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, the 50 escapees managed to flee in scattered batches, with some reportedly aided by farmers and local vigilante groups who spotted them wandering deep in the bush. The children have since been reunited with their parents after verification by school officials.
However, about 265 pupils and 12 staff members remain in captivity, raising fears of prolonged negotiations or a drawn-out rescue operation similar to previous mass abductions in the North Central region.
Niger State authorities have condemned the attack and ordered the immediate closure of vulnerable schools, while security agencies — including the military, police, hunters and local vigilantes — have launched search operations across the forests bordering Agwara, Magama, and parts of Kebbi State.
The attack comes amid a sharp resurgence of mass kidnappings targeting schools in northern Nigeria. In the last week alone, more than 230 students were abducted in separate incidents across the region, prompting national outrage and renewed calls for a comprehensive school-security framework.
Parents of the missing children have continued to gather at the school premises, many in tears, pleading for swift government action. Community leaders warn that the scale of the kidnapping could escalate instability in remote riverine communities already plagued by banditry.
As rescue efforts intensify, authorities have yet to confirm whether contact has been established with the abductors or if any ransom demands have been made.