By PJ Usanga, CSN Media
One hundred children abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri community, Niger State, have been released, the Bishop of Kontagora, Most Rev Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, has confirmed.
Speaking to the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Yohanna said, “It is true. So far, 100 children have been released. We thank God for everything.”
This marks another major breakthrough since armed men seized more than 300 pupils and staff on 21 November.
Despite the latest release, 153 students and 12 staff members remain in captivity. The mass abduction occurred when gunmen stormed the private boarding school, taking 239 nursery and primary pupils, 14 secondary students and 12 staff. The trauma surrounding the incident has reportedly led to the deaths of two parents: Anthony Musa, father of three abducted children, and a mother identified only as Esther.
International reaction has continued. In a post on X, United States Congressman Riley Moore, who recently introduced a resolution on Christian persecution in Nigeria and visited the country, described the 7 December rescue as “a positive demonstration of the government’s increasing response to the security situation.” He said he had discussed “concrete steps and actions” with Nigerian officials aimed at improving security and disrupting terrorist networks, particularly in the north-east.
