BREAKING: 50 pupils escape as hunt intensifies for remaining St. Mary’s school abductees

BREAKING: 50 pupils escape as hunt intensifies for remaining St. Mary’s school abductees

In a significant development following the mass abduction at St. Mary’s Catholic Private Primary and Secondary School in Niger State, 50 kidnapped pupils have escaped from their captors and safely reunited with their families.

The Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and proprietor of the school, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, confirmed the development in a statement released on Sunday. According to him, the children, who managed to flee from the terrorists, went straight to their homes instead of returning to the school, prompting immediate verification by the church and security agencies.

The daring escape comes two days after armed terrorists abducted 303 pupils and students and 12 teachers during a brazen early-morning attack on the school located in Mariga Local Government Area. The incident marks one of the largest school abductions in the country since the 2014 Chibok tragedy.

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Security sources say the military, police, and local vigilante groups have intensified search efforts within forests straddling Niger, Kaduna, and Zamfara states—known corridors for terrorist movement.

This latest attack adds to a disturbing spike in school kidnappings across the North-West and North-Central regions. Just last week, gunmen raided Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, abducting 24 schoolgirls—a development that prompted President Bola Tinubu to order the Minister of State for Defence to relocate to Kebbi to oversee rescue operations.

The Niger State Government has condemned the assault on St. Mary’s School, vowing to deploy all available resources to secure the release of the remaining abducted children and staff. Meanwhile, the Catholic Diocese has called for national prayers and urged authorities to prioritise the safety of schools in rural communities.

As rescue operations continue, families remain hopeful that more pupils will escape or be recovered, even as Nigeria confronts the escalating challenge of school-targeted terrorism.

BREAKING: 50 pupils escape as hunt intensifies for remaining St. Mary’s school abductees