There was widespread relief in Niger State on Christmas Day as the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora confirmed that all children and staff abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Schools, Papiri, have been safely rescued and reunited with their families.
The confirmation was made by Rev. Bulus Yohanna, proprietor of St. Mary’s Catholic Private Primary and Secondary School, in a statement released on Thursday. He said the rescue was made possible through the combined efforts of the Federal Government, the Niger State Government, and security agencies.
According to Rev. Yohanna, a total of 230 persons were verified to have been abducted during the incident. This figure includes 12 staff members, 14 students, and 204 pupils. He added that all those rescued have since returned home, with no child currently reported missing.
He explained that confusion followed the abduction on November 21, when an initial headcount suggested that 315 persons were unaccounted for. Two days later, 50 pupils who had escaped returned to their parents, reducing the number to 265.
Further verification exercises revealed that some parents were absent during the first checks, while others had children who either escaped earlier or were never abducted. A final review, carried out with the Parents-Teachers Association, confirmed that 85 of those initially listed were not abducted, leaving the verified number at 230.
Rev. Yohanna attributed the discrepancies to the panic and confusion surrounding the incident, stressing that there was no intention to mislead the public. He thanked the government, security agencies, parents, the Christian community, the media, and the general public for their prayers and support, while offering prayers for healing and restoration for all affected families.
