Niger abduction: No contact yet from kidnappers — CAN

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State has confirmed that there has been no contact from the kidnappers who abducted a large number of pupils and teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, almost a week ago.

Bishop Bulus Yohanna, the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and Chairman of CAN in Niger State, provided an updated tally on the missing persons, confirming that the total number of individuals abducted in the raid stood at 315—comprising 303 students and 12 teachers.

Speaking on Friday, the Bishop said, “So far, we have not had any contact with them. As I’m speaking now, we’ve not had any call regarding the abductors.”

The raid occurred in the early hours of November 21, between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., when gunmen stormed the school in the Agwara Local Government Area. A security guard was reportedly shot during the attack.

Bishop Yohanna clarified that after a headcount, the total missing was initially 315. However, since then, 50 pupils have escaped and been reunited with their families after officials began reaching out to parents.

“Now, as we started receiving calls from parents, we were able to get 50 out of the 315, including staff that could not be accounted for,” the Bishop explained.

“Out of that number, we deducted them from the 315. We now have 265 as of now. That is the number that is missing.”

The Bishop confirmed that he has been in direct communication with the DSS in Kontagora and that the school’s management has submitted detailed statements and the names of all missing persons to the local police DPO’s office.

The Niger State Government, meanwhile, has ordered the closure of all schools across the state as a precautionary measure and has deployed tactical teams, ground troops, and local hunters to locate the victims.

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