The Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, Bulus Yohanna, has raised fresh concerns over the mass abduction at St Mary’s Catholic school.
In a Channels Television interview, the cleric disclosed that 265 pupils and teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic Schools, Papiri, remain missing more than a week after armed attackers struck the school.
According to Bishop Yohanna, the school initially recorded 315 missing persons, 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers following a headcount.
While 50 victims eventually returned home, the heartbreaking reality is that 265 individuals, including nursery-age children, are still missing.
The bishop, who also heads the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, said the incident has thrown the community into confusion and fear. Tragically, two parents have died from shock, unable to cope with the trauma of their missing children.
He also dismissed reports that the school had received prior intelligence about the attack, insisting that the abduction caught everyone off guard.
This mass kidnapping, which saw over 300 children abducted in one swoop, adds to a disturbing wave of similar incidents across Nigeria.
Earlier the same week, 25 schoolgirls were abducted in another incident, while 38 worshippers were seized from churches in Kebbi and Kwara States.
Following nationwide outrage, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a national emergency on school safety and ordered a massive manhunt to rescue the victims.