265 teachers and students are still missing more than a week after gunmen raided St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Niger State. This is one of the most concerning mass kidnappings in the North-Central region in recent memory.
In an interview with Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, November 28, the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora, Bulus Yohanna, revealed the updated headcount and confirmed that 253 students and 12 teachers are still missing according to the Kontagora Diocese statistics.
According to reports, the attack was the most recent in an increasing number of kidnappings targeting pupils in the North-Central, bringing back horrific memories of mass kidnappings that have long plagued communities in the area.
After a verified headcount at the kidnapping location, 315 teachers and pupils were initially reported missing, according to Yohanna, who described how the diocese followed escapees after the incident.
Twelve teachers were also absent, and 303 children were missing. The Bishop disclosed, “We added that number to make it 315 that cannot be accounted for after taking the headcount.”
He clarified that once several hostages managed to flee and subsequently made contact with their families, the diocese decided to recalculate its count using parents’ verified phone confirmations.
“Those who managed to flee returned to their villages,” he stated.
“We were able to get 50 out of the 315 when we started calling people who had reunited with their parents, including staff and teachers who could not be located.” After subtracting that amount, we currently have 265, which is the missing number.
Yohanna affirmed that the diocese has formally sent Umar Bago, the governor of Niger State, the verified names of the missing teachers and children for tracking and coordination of rescue efforts at the state level.
The Bishop also revealed that two parents have died as a result of the incident’s shock, which tragically adds to the anguish experienced by families who are still waiting for updates.
More than 300 children and employees from the Catholic-owned institutions were allegedly taken by the gunman, some of whom were only out of nursery school.
CAN Requests Strengthening of School Security
Yohanna, who also serves as the chair of the Christian Association of Nigeria’s Niger State chapter, called for the prompt deployment of security personnel to Niger State’s schools and other community facilities.
He requested that proactive school protection be increased by the federal government, especially for vulnerable rural towns with shallow policing.
He emphasized that “forwarded names for action, not politics” and called for immediate action.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu responded to the kidnapping issue on Thursday by announcing a state-sponsored manhunt for the criminals and directing national security forces to locate, apprehend, and free any individuals who remain in captivity throughout the nation.
The president issued an immediate order for rescue, disruption, and arrest while reiterating that terrorists would not be allowed to take over Nigerian territory.
According to reports, 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped from another institution and 38 worshippers were taken from a church in Kebbi and Kwara States during the same week. Tinubu declared national security to be a national emergency priority as a result of the widespread, concurrent attacks.
