Key Takeaways
- 50 students escaped from mass kidnapping at Nigerian Catholic school
- Over 250 students and staff remain captive with kidnappers
- Pope Leo appeals for immediate release of hostages
- Separate rescue operation saves 38 church abductees in Kwara state
In a significant development, fifty students have managed to escape from the mass kidnapping at a Catholic school in Nigeria’s Niger state. The children were reunited with their parents after fleeing captivity between Friday and Saturday, according to church officials.
However, the situation remains dire with approximately 253 hostages still held by the gunmen. This includes 12 staff members and teachers from St. Mary’s school, located west of the capital Abuja.
Bulus Yohanna, Catholic Bishop and chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, confirmed the escape and ongoing captivity. “The pupils escaped between Friday and Saturday,” Yohanna stated.
Anxious Parents Await News
Parents rushed to the school upon hearing about the escapes, desperately seeking information about their children. Amose Ibrahim, who has three children at the school including a six-year-old, expressed his anguish.
“Unfortunately, they were not among the escapees,” Ibrahim told Reuters by phone. “As of now, many parents and their loved ones are roaming around the school.”
International Response and Papal Appeal
The mass abduction represents one of the worst school kidnappings ever recorded in Nigeria, part of a disturbing pattern that has forced several northern states to close educational institutions. The government has ordered the closure of 47 colleges in the region.
Pope Leo made an emotional appeal for the hostages’ release during mass in St Peter’s Square. “I make a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages,” the Pope declared.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, Nigerian security forces rescued 38 people abducted during a church service in Kwara state. President Bola Tinubu confirmed the successful operation, though tragically at least two people died during the initial attack.
