The Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, Bulus Yohanna, has given a detailed breakdown of the mass abduction at St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, in Agwara LGA, stressing that authorities have yet to receive any communication from the kidnappers.
“So far, we have not had any contact with them. As I’m speaking now, we’ve not had any call regarding the abductors,” he said in an interview with Channels Television on Friday.
The armed raid occurred in the early hours of November 21, between 1 am and 3 am, when gunmen stormed the school premises, shot a security guard, and whisked away pupils, students, and teachers.
Initial figures suggested 215 pupils and 12 staff were missing. However, after security operatives, community heads, and diocesan officials carried out a verification exercise involving parents, the numbers were updated.
The revised count revealed that 315 people were abducted — 303 students and 12 teachers. The diocese later confirmed that 50 of the pupils escaped and have reunited with their families.
Yohanna explained that the attackers first targeted the convent where the sisters live but were unable to force their way in.
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“I think the first attempt was to see if they could break through where the sisters are living. That didn’t happen. When they came to the gate, they were asking, ‘Where are the sisters living?’ The gateman said, ‘Well, they work here, but they don’t live here.’ So they shot him and then forced the gate open,” he narrated.
He added that the gunmen also tried to break the gates separating the convent from the school but failed again.
“They tried to force the gates that separated the sisters’ convent and the school; they didn’t succeed. So eventually, they went to the hostel where we have the dormitory, where we have the children. They shot into the air, and everyone was scared,” he said, noting that many students fled into nearby bushes.
Despite the confusion, the attackers managed to abduct a large number of students and teachers. A headcount conducted the following morning confirmed that 303 students and 12 teachers were missing.
According to Yohanna, follow-up calls from parents helped clarify the situation. “Now, as we started receiving calls from parents, we were able to get 50 out of the 315, including staff that could not be accounted for. Out of that number, we deducted them from the 315. We now have 265 as of now. That is the number that is missing,” he explained.
Addressing claims that the school had prior warnings about the attack, the bishop rejected the suggestion. He clarified that the school once received rumours of a possible threat in 2021/2022 and immediately shut down operations for five months, strengthened security, and relocated students writing exams to Kontagora.
“Since then, we have not had anything—no verbal warning, no written warning—until this incident happened,” he said.
He insisted that the recent allegation by the Niger State Government that the school ignored intelligence was surprising. “I see no reason why we should have that kind of instruction and not obey it,” he added.
On collaboration with security agencies, Yohanna confirmed active communication with the DSS in Kontagora and said the police had already received statements from the sisters.
“Most of the information we have, especially the details, I’ve forwarded to him. The police at the DPO in Kontagora called to say that the sisters are to go and make a statement, which we have sent them,” the bishop stated.
Speaking on the emotional state of parents, he said, “Of course, they are traumatised and worried. We are praying and hoping that by the grace of God, their children will be released. Everyone is traumatised.”
He also raised broader concerns about school safety in Nigeria, noting the need for improved implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative in the wake of repeated mass abductions.