AFRICA/NIGERIA – 265 pupils kidnapped from St. Mary’s School are still in the hands of kidnappers; Bishop tells Fides: “This is the work of criminals”

Abuja – “The kidnappers are almost certainly criminals seeking illicit gain by demanding a ransom for the release of the young people they have captured,” Msgr. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna of Kontagora, the diocese where several hundred students were kidnapped on November 21 by armed bandits who stormed St. Mary’s Catholic primary and secondary school in the community of Papiri, told Fides. A statement sent to Fides by the Diocese of Kontagora reveals that 50 of the kidnapped children have managed to escape and have been reunited with their families. According to the diocese, “out of the 315 pupils abducted, 265 remain incaptivity, of whom 239 are pupils, 14 students, and 12 staff members.”
The 50 minors managed to escape between Friday, November 21, and Saturday, November 22. “These students did not report back to the school that they were safe; we were able to confirm their safe return home during follow-up visits and calls from their families,” the diocese stated.
The school has a total of 430 primary pupils . The secondary section comprises 199 students, including 85 boarders and 14 day students. “These details are important,” the statement emphasizes, “in helping the public understand the scale of the incident and the extensive efforts underway to account for every missing child and staff member.”
“We remain fully committed to the safe rescue of those still in captivity. We continue to collaborate with security agencies and relevant stakeholders, and we urge the public to remain calm, prayerful, and supportive as these efforts progress,” the statement concludes.

Read original article