The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said on Monday that the Nigerian government has rescued around 100 schoolchildren who were abducted last month from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State.
According to a CAN spokesperson in Niger State, Mr Daniel Atori, the rescue was confirmed by government officials on Monday morning, without providing further details.
On November 21, gunmen attacked St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school in Papiri, a hamlet in Niger state, and abducted 315 people comprising over 300 pupils and students, including 12 teachers.
Fifty pupils managed to escape with help of farmers in the following hours, but since then, there had been no update on the whereabouts or conditions of the other children.
Speaking then, the chairman of the Niger state chapter of CAN and Catholic bishop of Kontagora diocese, Mr Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, said the pupils regained freedom were quietly reunited with their families.
“Note that, in the primary section out of the total number of 430 pupils we have in the school, 377 of them are boarders and the remaining 53 others are non boarders.
“Currently, aside from the 50 pupils that escaped and have returned home, we have 141 pupils who were not carried away.
“As it stands now, we have 236 pupils, another 3 children who belong to our staff, 14 Secondary students making a total 253 children including 12 members of staff with the abductors,” he said.
However, it is not clear how the Nigerian government secured the freedom of the students. As of press time, the government has not made any comment regarding the issue.