50 children abducted from catholic school in Niger escaped – CAN

Fifty pupils abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State have escaped from captivity, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has confirmed. The children regained their freedom between Friday and Saturday after days in the hands of their captors.

The pupils, who were taken during a mass abduction earlier in the week, reportedly found their way out of captivity and quietly returned home on their own. Their escape only became public after school officials reached out to parents who had taken the children home without reporting back to the school authorities.

Confirming the development, the CAN chairman in Niger State and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora, Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, said the children were safe but did not immediately return to the school after fleeing their captors. This prompted school officials and church representatives to embark on verification visits to the homes of parents.

Bishop Yohanna described the escape as a miraculous relief for the Christian community, the school, and the families involved. He, however, noted that details of how the pupils managed to escape remained unclear as the affected children and their families were still recovering from the trauma.

The bishop added that while the escape brought significant relief, the incident highlighted the persistent insecurity affecting schools and communities across the state. He called for strengthened security presence in vulnerable areas to prevent further attacks.

Full List of the 50 Pupils Who Escaped

Samson Bitrus
Emmanuel Francis
Amos Mathew
Timothy Peter
Ayuba Victor
Bulus Emmanuel
Bulus Samaila
Caleb Hossa
Catherine Emmanuel
Christopher Ezekiel
Dominic Daniel
Dominic Elisha
Elisha Haruna
Ezekiel Yakubu
Ezekiel Emmanuel
Ezekiel Samuel
Ezekiel Plus
Ezra James
Femi Peter
Gloria Jeremiah
Godiya Mathew
Ibiya
Ishaaya David
Joseph Sunday
Julius Paul
Justina Adamu
Keziah Musa
Lawrence James
Lawrence Yohanna
Marcus Bulus
Mariam Joshua
Mathew Dauda
Micah Luka
Michael Jacob
Musa Timothy
Naomi Bulus
Nicodemus Ibrahim
Peter Jonathan
Priscilla Peter
Emmanuel Godwin
Samaila Dauda
Stephen Andrew
Sunday Shadrach
Victoria David
Victoria Ishaku
Vincent Emmanuel
Yahaya Sani
Yakubu Saminu
Yunusa Musa
Yusuf Sunday