BREAKING: 50 St. Mary’s students escape abduction, over 250 still held hostage

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), in Niger State, has confirmed that the 50 students kidnapped from St. Mary’s Private Catholic School in Papiri, Agwara LGA, have successfully escaped their captors. The pupils regained their freedom between Friday and Saturday and have since been reunited with their families, according to the school authorities.
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The escape was announced on Sunday by the Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who serves as both the Chairman of the Niger State chapter of CAN and the Catholic Bishop of the Kontagora Diocese, which oversees the school.
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According to Bishop Yohanna, the 50 students escaped individually and in small groups were unable to return to the school immediately. The authorities conducted verifications by contacting and visiting parents to confirm the return of the children.
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The initial total number of abductees, including pupils, secondary students, and staff, was placed at 315 by CAN on Saturday. Bishop Yohanna provided an updated figure for those remaining with the bandits, following the escape of the 50 students;

Currently, aside from the 50 pupils that escaped and have returned home…236 pupils, three children belonging to staff members, 14 secondary school students, and 12 staff members remain with the abductors

The abduction occurred in the early hours of Friday when gunmen stormed the educational institution, making it one of the mass abductions that have rocked the country this week.
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‎However, the State Government has attempted to distance itself from blame, stating on Friday that the school authorities reopened the boarding facility without notifying or seeking clearance from the State Government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk despite receiving intelligence warnings about increased threats. Bishop Yohanna has previously refuted this claim, saying the school received no such circular.
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Joint security agencies, including tactical squads and local hunters, have been deployed to search the nearby forests, in order to rescue the remaining students still in abduction and to reunite them with their families.