All Abducted Pupils, Staff Reunited With Families – Yohanna

The Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and Proprietor of St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, has confirmed that all abducted pupils, students and staff of the school have been successfully rescued and reunited with their families.

In a Christmas message signed by him and made available to journalists on Thursday, Bishop Yohanna, who is also the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger State, said the statement was issued to provide clarity, confirm verified facts and address concerns that arose during the incident in the interest of transparency and public confidence.

According to him, a total of 230 children and staff members were abducted during the incident and have all regained their freedom through the combined efforts of the Federal Government, Niger State Government and security agencies. The figure, he said, comprises 12 staff members, 14 students and 204 pupils.

He further confirmed that all the rescued children have been reunited with their respective families, adding that no individual has come forward to indicate that any child remains missing.

Bishop Yohanna explained that immediately after the abduction on Friday, November 21, 2025, an initial headcount was conducted, during which 315 persons were reported unaccounted for.

By Sunday, November 23, 2025, it was confirmed that 50 of those earlier listed had escaped and reunited with their parents, reducing the number of unaccounted persons to 265.

He said a joint verification exercise involving the state government, security agencies and the school authorities later revealed that not all parents were present for verification.

This led the school management, in collaboration with the Parents-Teachers Association, to conduct a second and final verification exercise, which established that an additional 35 persons were neither abducted nor among those who escaped.

According to him, out of the initial 315 persons reported missing, a total of 85 were confirmed to have either escaped or not been abducted, bringing the verified number of persons actually abducted to 230.

The bishop explained that the discrepancies recorded during the initial headcount were due to genuine challenges, including the fact that some pupils fled into nearby bushes during the attack and did not immediately return to the school premises, as well as the absence of some parents during verification.

He stressed that the inconsistencies were not intended to mislead the public or cause panic but resulted from the rapidly evolving and emotionally charged nature of the incident.

Bishop Yohanna expressed deep appreciation to the Federal and Niger State governments and the security agencies for their swift interventions and tireless efforts that led to the rescue of the abducted children and staff.

He also commended the patience, prayers, solidarity and understanding shown by parents, guardians, the school community, the Christian community, the media and the general public throughout the ordeal.

Describing the successful rescue as the best Christmas gift, the bishop thanked all those whose invaluable contributions ensured the safe return and reunification of the children and staff with their families.