CRBC News
Politics
Conflict
Security
Economy
Science
Technology
Environment
Health
Culture
Society
Lifestyle
Security

Pope Francis Appeals as 50 Students Escape Abduction — 253 Pupils and 12 Teachers Still Held in Niger State

10:58 PM, 11/23/2025
Pope Francis Appeals as 50 Students Escape Abduction — 253 Pupils and 12 Teachers Still Held in Niger State

Fifty of 303 pupils abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school in Niger state escaped and returned home, officials say. A total of 253 students and 12 teachers remain held by gunmen after a Friday attack in the Papiri community. Pope Francis appealed at Mass for the immediate release of the hostages and urged authorities to act swiftly. Authorities have closed schools in affected areas as investigations continue and security experts warn kidnappings persist where consequences are limited.

Fifty of the 303 pupils abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school in Niger state have escaped captivity and returned to their families, school officials said Sunday, offering a measure of relief after one of the largest school kidnappings in recent Nigerian history.

Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, proprietor of the school and chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger state, said the students — aged 10 to 18 — escaped individually between Friday and Saturday. He said the remaining captives include 253 pupils and 12 teachers.

At the end of Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, Pope Francis said he was "deeply saddened" by the abduction and made a public appeal for the immediate release of the hostages. "I make a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages and urge the competent authorities to take appropriate and timely decisions to ensure their release," he said.

The gunmen attacked St. Mary’s School on Friday in the remote Papiri community, seizing students and staff. No group has claimed responsibility, and authorities have not disclosed the location of the captives or details of any rescue operation.

The school sits near a major road linking Yelwa and Mokwa in a region where armed gangs operate from vast forests spanning state borders. Four days earlier, 25 pupils were seized in a similar raid in Maga town, Kebbi state, roughly 170 kilometers away, underscoring a broader pattern of kidnappings-for-ransom in parts of northern Nigeria.

Following the attack, Niger state authorities ordered all schools closed, and the federal government temporarily shut several colleges in conflict-affected areas. Arrests in such cases remain infrequent, and many victims are freed only after ransom payments.

"The absence of consequences is what is fuelling these attacks," said Confidence McHarry, a security analyst at Lagos-based SBM Intelligence, noting that gangs exploit weak policing in remote communities.

The abductions have come to define a wider insecurity problem in Nigeria, affecting both Christian and Muslim communities. Authorities and family members continue to call for calm and sustained efforts to secure the remaining hostages and bring those responsible to justice.

Note: Bulus Dauwa Yohanna provided the statement on the number of escapees and remaining captives.

Similar Articles

Trending