Fifty pupils kidnapped from St. Mary Private Primary and Secondary Schools in Niger State have escaped from their abductors and returned home, according to the Niger State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Bishop of the Kontagora Diocese, Most Rev. Bulus Yohanna.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued on Sunday by his media aide, Daniel Atori. Yohanna said the escape was discovered after officials visited some of the affected families.
Providing an update on the situation, the CAN chairman explained that despite the escape of the 50 pupils, a large number of children and staff members remain in captivity. He noted that the school still has “236 pupils in captivity, including three children belonging to staff members and 14 secondary students, making a total of 253 children and 12 staff members still held by the abductors.”
Announcing the encouraging news, Yohanna stated: “This is to notify the public that as of Sunday, 23rd November 2025, we received some good news as fifty (50) pupils escaped and have reunited with their parents.”
He added that the escape happened shortly after armed men attacked the school on Friday and abducted hundreds of pupils and staff. “The pupils escaped between Friday and Saturday and have reunited with their parents, as they could not return to the school after escaping. We were able to ascertain this when we contacted and visited some parents,” the statement read.
Yohanna also provided further details about the school’s population. He revealed that the primary section has 430 enrolled pupils, including 377 boarders and 53 day students. “Currently, aside from the 50 pupils who escaped and returned home, we have 141 pupils who were not abducted,” he said.
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He stressed that despite the relief of seeing some children return, the situation remains dire. “As much as we receive the return of these 50 children with some sigh of relief, I urge everyone to continue in prayers for the rescue and safe return of the remaining victims,” the CAN chairman appealed.
He further encouraged communities to remain hopeful and cooperative: “I call on everyone to remain calm and prayerful. We will continue to actively collaborate with security operatives, community leaders, government, and relevant authorities for the safe and quick return of all abductees.”
The State Police Command is yet to comment on this latest development.
A total of 315 people — pupils, students, and staff — were abducted during Friday’s attack on the school located in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area. Following the incident, Governor Mohammed Bago ordered the immediate closure of all schools in the state on Saturday.