Theliberationnews reports that no fewer than 215 pupils and 12 teachers of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, were abducted when terrorists stormed the school in the early hours of Friday.
This was made known by the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna on Friday night during his engagement with pressmen.
Yohanna described the situation as “heart-wrenching” calling for swift government action to rescue the children and staff.
“After meeting with the school authorities and the parents, our current count shows that 215 pupils and 12 teachers are in the kidnappers’ den,” he said.
“I have just returned from the village tonight. I went there to console the parents and assure them that we are working closely with government and security agencies to ensure our children are rescued safely.”
According to reports, the invaders had stormed the school around 2 a.m., firing shots into the air and forcing pupils and teachers out of their dormitories before marching them into the forest.
Initially, it was earlier suggested that as many as 300 students might have been taken, before dozens who fled during the chaos found their way back at daybreak.
“Some of the pupils escaped by jumping over the fence. Many hid in the bush until morning. By 6 a.m., some started returning with injuries and in shock,” the source added.
In an immediate response, the Federal Ministry of Education on Friday night ordered the closure of 41 Federal Unity Colleges over rising insecurity.
Similarly, the governments of Plateau and Katsina states have also directed the immediate shutdown of all public and private schools in the state as a security and safety measure.
Yohanna appealed for calm but warned that the situation demands a decisive, coordinated response.
“This is a tragedy. These children must not be abandoned. We call on the federal and state governments to treat this as a national emergency,” the CAN chairman said.
As at Friday night, Theliberationnews gathered that rescue operations had begun with security agencies intensified search efforts across the forests bordering Niger, Kebbi, and Zamfara states.
