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The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, Niger State, has released the names of 50 pupils who escaped after last week’s mass abduction at St. Mary’s School in the Papiri community of Agwara Local Government Area.
Armed men invaded the boarding school on November 21 and abducted 315 people, comprising 303 pupils and 12 teachers, in one of the largest school kidnappings recorded in the state.
Earlier, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State announced that 50 of the abducted pupils had regained freedom between Friday and Saturday.
According to the association, the children escaped from captivity and “quietly reunited with their families” before the news reached authorities.
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Bulus Yohanna, Chairman of CAN in Niger State and Catholic Bishop of the Kontagora Diocese, said the pupils did not immediately return to the school because of the trauma and fear following the attack.
He explained that church and community officials were able to trace them after reaching out to parents and visiting various homes.
“The children were found safe with their families, although deeply shaken,” Yohanna said, adding that authorities are working to provide them with support while efforts to rescue the remaining captives continue.
The diocese also published the names of the 50 pupils who escaped which include Samson Bitrus; Justina Adamu; Emmanuel Francis; Keziah Musa; Amos Mathew; Lawrence James; Timothy Peter; Lawrence Yohanna; Ayuba Victor; Marcus Bulus; Bulus Emmanuel; Mariam Joshua; Bulus Samaila; Mathew Dauda; Caleb Hosea; Micah Luka; Catherine Emmanuel; Michael Jacob; Christopher Ezekiel; Musa Timothy; Dominic Daniel; Naomi Bulus; Dominic Elisha; Nicodemus Ibrahim; Elisha Harunna; Peter Jonathan; Elisha Yakubu; Pricillia Peter; Ezekiel Emmanuel.
Others are Emmanuel Godwin; Ezekiel Joel; Samaila Dauda; Ezekiel Pius; Stephen Anthony; Ezra James; Sunday Shedrack; Friday Joel; Gloria Jeremiah; Veronica Iliya; Victoria Ishaku; Godiya Mathew; Vincent Emmanuel; Iliya Philip; Wisdom Fabian; Ishaya David; Yakubu Saminu; Joseph Sunday; Yunusa Musa; Julius Paul; and Yusuf Sunday.
