Fifty Of Over 300 Students Kidnapped At Catholic School Escape Captivity In Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Fifty of them 303 students were kidnapped from a Catholic school north-central of Nigeria While the pope called for the immediate release of those still missing, the school official said on Sunday that Niger state had escaped captivity and was now with their families.

Most Rev., president of the Nigerian Christian Association in Niger state and owner of the school. According to Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, schoolchildren aged between 10 and 18 escaped individually between Friday and Saturday.

Yohanna said in a statement that a total of 253 school children and 12 teachers were still held by the kidnappers. “We were able to detect this when we contacted some parents and decided to visit them,” he added.

Meanwhile, 38 worshipers kidnapped during a deadly church attack Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said in his statement that Muslims in the Kwara state of central Nigeria have gained their freedom.

Gunmen attacked the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku town of Kwara on Tuesday, killing two people and taking others hostage. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu made a separate statement, attributing the freedom of worshipers to “the efforts of security agencies” without providing further details.

On Friday, students and students of Niger state gathered at St. Peter’s Church, a Catholic institution in the remote Papiri community of Niger state. He was captured along with his teachers by gunmen who attacked St. Mary’s School.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and Nigerian authorities have not provided any updates on the rescue effort. It was not immediately clear where the children in Niger state were being held or how they managed to return home.

The Niger public school is located near the main road connecting the towns of Yelwa and Mokwa, in a part of Nigeria where armed gangs often operate in vast forests connecting different states and conflict hotspots.

“While we breathe a sigh of relief at the return of these 50 escaped children, I urge all of you to continue praying for the rescue and safe return of the remaining victims,” Yohanna said.

At the end of the mass held in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, Pope Leo

“I feel great sorrow, especially for the many abducted boys and girls and their grieving families,” the Pope said. “I make a sincere call for the immediate release of the hostages and call on the competent authorities to take appropriate and timely decisions to ensure their release.”

School kidnappings It has become the definition of insecurity in Africa’s most populous country, and armed gangs often see schools as “strategic” targets to attract more attention. At least 1,500 students In Nigeria, most of the children seized since the infamous Chibok schoolgirl kidnapping more than a decade ago have only been released after ransoms were paid.

The attack in Niger state took place four days later 25 students were confiscated Similar conditions occurred in the town of Maga, 170 kilometers (106 miles) away in neighboring Kebbi province.

Both states are located in Nigeria’s northern region, where dozens of armed gangs use kidnapping for ransom as a way to dominate remote communities with little government and security presence.

While Niger state hastily closed all schools after Friday’s attack, some federal colleges in conflict-ridden areas in the region were also closed by the Nigerian government.

The kidnappings take place against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s allegations of “Christian persecution” in the West African country. Attacks in Nigeria Affects both Christians and Muslims. The school attack in Kebbi province earlier this week took place in a predominantly Muslim town.

Arrests are rare and ransom payments common in most hotspots in northern Nigeria.

Confidence McHarry, a security analyst at Lagos-based consultancy SBM Intelligence, said that while there was little evidence that Trump’s comments may have inspired gunmen to launch more attacks in the hope that greater attention would bring higher ransoms, “the lack of consequences is what fuels these attacks.”

In a statement welcoming the release of some of those kidnapped in Niger state and Kebbi state, Tinubu said his government would not back down until all hostages were released.

“Let me be clear: I will not give up. Every Nigerian in every state has the right to security and under my watch, we will ensure the security of this nation and protect our people,” he added.