The number of pupils abducted from St Mary’s Private Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, has increased to 315, following a fresh verification exercise conducted by school authorities and parents.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that terrorists stormed the school in the early hours of Friday, abducting 215 pupils and 12 teachers. However, additional checks revealed that 88 more students, initially thought to have escaped, had also gone missing after fleeing into nearby bushes during the attack.
The updated figure was disclosed on Saturday by the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State chapter, Most Rev. Bulus Yohanna, through his media aide, Daniel Atori.
“At first, we believed some children had escaped,” Yohanna said. “But after parents came asking questions and a full census was conducted, we realised 88 more students were unaccounted for. That raised the number of abducted students to 303.”
With the 303 students and 12 teachers (four women and eight men) confirmed abducted, the total number of captives now stands at 315, making it one of the largest school kidnappings in recent years.
Yohanna also debunked circulating rumours suggesting that the school had been warned before the attack or that some Reverend Sisters had travelled to Abuja prior to the incident.
“No advisory was issued to the school management or the National Association of Private Schools. Any claim to the contrary appears to be an attempt to shift blame,” he stated. “The school is owned by the Catholic Diocese. No Reverend Sisters travelled to Abuja as speculated. Anyone making such claims should provide proof.”
St Mary’s Private School has an enrolment of 629 students — 430 in the primary section and 199 in the secondary.
The CAN chairman called for calm and assured that the church is working closely with security agencies, community leaders, and relevant government authorities to secure the safe return of all abductees.
“We urge everyone to remain prayerful,” he said. “We continue to do everything possible to ensure their swift release. May God protect His people.”
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