Niger State Abduction Leaves 265 Educators and Pupils Unaccounted For, Catholic Bishop Says

The Catholic Bishop of Kontagora, Bulus Yohanna, reported that over a week after gunmen abducted many schoolchildren from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Niger State, 265 teachers and students remain missing. Yohanna made this statement on Friday, November 28, during an interview with Channels Television. He mentioned that the total includes 12 teachers and 253 schoolchildren, and that the diocese has sent the names of the abducted individuals to Niger State Governor, Umar Bago. "We had 303 pupils and students unaccounted for, along with 12 teachers. We combined those numbers to reach a total of 315 that we cannot find after conducting a headcount," the bishop explained. Those who managed to escape returned to their villages. As we began receiving calls from those who reunited with their families, we confirmed 50 out of the 315, including staff and teachers who were also missing. After deducting that number, we now have 265 individuals unaccounted for," he stated.

Yohanna, who also leads the Niger State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), urged the Federal Government to send security forces to protect schools in the North-Central region. The bishop expressed that the kidnapping has caused significant distress for the parents of the abducted schoolgirls. He noted that two parents have died from the shock of the situation. The cleric called on both the federal and state governments to assist the school by ensuring the safety of the students and teachers still held captive by the kidnappers.

The gunmen took more than 300 children from the Catholic institution, marking a troubling return of mass kidnappings that have plagued Nigeria for years.