Not less than 215 schoolchildren and 12 staff members were abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, after gunmen invaded the school on Friday.
CEOAFRICA earlier reported that the ruthless attackers stormed the school in the early hours of Friday and escaped with a large number of pupils and employees.
An official of the Catholic Diocese of Kotangora, who was not permitted to speak, disclosed that over 300 learners were unaccounted for following the incident.
He, however, said some of the pupils were able to make their way back to the school after the attack.
“They invaded the school as early as 2 a.m. Friday morning. The kidnappers were just shooting into the air while they were operating.
“Some of the students escaped, some even jumped over the school fence while they were still attacking. As early as 6 a.m., some of the students who took cover in the bush started coming back. It was a terrible incident,” he said.
Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, told reporters on Friday evening that 215 pupils and 12 teachers are currently in the kidnappers’ den.
“I have just got back to the village this night after I visited the school where I also met with parents of the children to assure them that we are working with the government and security agencies to see that our children are rescued and brought back safely,” Yohanna said.
Recall that the latest mass abduction by terrorists has escalated tension across the country.
Many private and public schools have abruptly halted their terminal examinations and shut down over fear of attacks. However, also observed that Nigerians have started boycotting important public events to avoid being attacked and kidnapped.
The Federal Ministry of Education on Friday night announced the shutdown of a total of 41 Unity Colleges in the country.
Similarly, the governments of Plateau and Katsina have also ordered the immediate closure of all schools within the states.
