The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora has confirmed that all pupils and staff abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Schools, Papiri, in Niger State, have been rescued and reunited with their families.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by Rev. Bulus Yohanna, the proprietor of St. Mary’s Catholic Private Primary and Secondary School and an official of the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora.
Yohanna said a total of 230 persons were verified to have been abducted during the attack on the school and later rescued. He explained that the figure comprised 204 pupils, 14 students and 12 staff members.
According to him, all the rescued children have since been reunited with their families, adding that there is no report of any pupil or staff still missing.
“Following the abduction on November 21, an initial headcount indicated that 315 persons were unaccounted for,” Yohanna said.
He explained that two days later, on November 23, about 50 of those initially listed as missing escaped from captivity and returned to their parents, reducing the number of unaccounted persons to 265.
Yohanna said a joint verification exercise involving the Niger State Government, security agencies and school authorities later revealed discrepancies in the figures.
“A joint verification exercise by the state government, security agencies and school authorities later revealed that not all parents were present during the exercise,” he said.
He added that a second and final verification carried out by the school authorities in collaboration with the Parents-Teachers Association showed that an additional 35 persons were either not abducted or had escaped earlier.
“Out of the initial 315 persons reported missing, 85 were confirmed to have either escaped or not been abducted, bringing the verified number of abducted persons to 230,” Yohanna stated.
He said the discrepancies in the initial figures were due to the chaotic nature of the attack, noting that some pupils fled into nearby bushes and did not return in time for the first headcount, while some parents were absent during verification.
Yohanna stressed that the inconsistencies were not intended to mislead the public.
“The discrepancies were not deliberate but a result of the challenges associated with a fast-evolving and emotionally charged situation,” he said.
He expressed appreciation to the Federal and Niger State governments, security agencies, parents, the Christian community, the media and members of the public for their prayers, patience and support.
He also offered prayers for healing and full recovery for all affected families.
