The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora has confirmed that all children and staff abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Schools, Papiri, in Niger State have been successfully rescued and reunited with their families.
The confirmation was made in a statement issued on Thursday by Rev. Bulus Yohanna, representing the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora and the Proprietor of St. Mary Catholic Private Primary and Secondary School. According to him, a total of 230 persons were verified to have been abducted during the incident and later rescued through the combined efforts of the Federal Government, the Niger State Government, and various security agencies.
Rev. Yohanna explained that the rescued individuals comprised 12 staff members, 14 students, and 204 pupils. He assured the public that all the rescued children have since been reunited with their families, adding that there is no record indicating that any child or staff member remains in captivity.
He recounted that immediately after the abduction on November 21, an initial headcount conducted by the school authorities showed that 315 persons were unaccounted for, raising widespread concern and anxiety among parents and the public.
However, he noted that on November 23, about 50 of those initially listed as missing were confirmed to have escaped on their own and returned to their parents, reducing the number of unaccounted persons to 265.
According to him, a joint verification exercise later carried out by the state government, security agencies, and school authorities revealed further discrepancies, largely because not all parents were present during the verification process.
He added that a second and final verification conducted by the school management in collaboration with the Parents-Teachers Association established that an additional 35 persons had either not been abducted in the first place or had escaped earlier without immediate notice.
“As a result, out of the initial 315 persons reported missing, a total of 85 were confirmed to have either escaped or were never abducted, bringing the verified number of abducted persons to 230,” he said.
Rev. Yohanna acknowledged that the discrepancies recorded during the initial headcount were due to the chaotic and traumatic nature of the incident. He explained that some pupils had fled into nearby bushes during the attack and did not return in time for the first count, while the absence of some parents during verification also contributed to the confusion.
He emphasised that the inconsistencies were not intended to mislead the public but were the result of the challenges associated with a rapidly unfolding and emotionally charged situation.
The cleric expressed deep appreciation to the Federal and Niger State governments, as well as security agencies, for their swift intervention and commitment that led to the successful rescue of the abducted victims. He also thanked parents, members of the Christian community, the media, and the general public for their prayers, patience, and support throughout the ordeal.
He concluded by offering prayers for healing, recovery, and restoration for all affected children, staff, and families, while reaffirming the Diocese’s commitment to the safety and wellbeing of all pupils under its care.
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