The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora has confirmed that all pupils and staff abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, have been rescued and reunited with their families, bringing formal closure to the November 21 school attack.
Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and proprietor of the school, Most Reverend Bulus Yohanna, who gave the update in a statement he signed said after a comprehensive reconciliation and verification exercise, it was established that 230 persons were actually abducted during the raid and that all have now regained their freedom with no one left in captivity.
The reconciliation exercise became necessary because of conflicting figures that circulated in the days following the attack, a situation the state government attributed to panic, poor communication, and the chaotic circumstances under which the abduction occurred.
To put the matter to rest, the Diocese conducted a final reconciliation after receiving the remaining 130 rescued victims from the government as confirmed by the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora, Most Reverend Bulus Yohanna.
He added that the discrepancies were neither deliberate nor misleading.
According to him, the final reconciliation confirms that 230 pupils and staff members, comprising 12 staff members, 14 secondary school students, and 204 nursery and primary pupils, were abducted during the attack on St. Mary’s School, Papiri, and all have been safely reunited with their families. No pupil or staff member remains in captivity.
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The diocese stressed that several pupils fled into nearby bushes during the attack, while others could not be immediately accounted for because their parents were not present during the early stages of verification.
“In the immediate aftermath of the incident, an initial headcount suggested that 315 persons were missing,” the statement said. “As clarity gradually emerged, it became evident that not all those initially listed had been abducted.”
He said that by Sunday, 23 November, the number of missing persons had dropped to 265 after 50 pupils were confirmed to have escaped on their own or reunited with their parents independently.
“In summary, out of the initial 315 persons reported missing, 85 were later confirmed to have either escaped or not been abducted, leaving a verified total of 230 abducted persons,” the bishop said.
He added that “the confusion reflected the reality of a fast-moving and emotionally charged crisis. At no point was there any intention to mislead the public or exaggerate figures,” he said.
The Diocese of Kontagora expressed gratitude to the federal and Niger State governments, security agencies, community leaders, and religious bodies for their roles in securing the release of the abducted pupils and staff.
While the release of all abductees has brought relief to families and the wider Catholic community, rights groups and education advocates have renewed calls for concrete measures to prevent future attacks on schools and ensure accountability for those responsible.
(Editor: Ada Ononye)
