The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora says a verified headcount shows 315 people were abducted from St. Mary’s Schools in Niger State, disputing government claims of prior security warnings.
The number of abducted victims from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwarra Local Government Area of Niger State has risen to 315, according to a report from THE NATION. Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna of the Catholic Kontagora Diocese said the figure followed a final verification exercise conducted after the attack.
Yohanna, who also chairs the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, said 303 students and 12 teachers are now confirmed missing. “After we left the school at Papiri, we decided to make calls, do verification exercise and do further enquiries… only to discover that 88 more students were also captured after they tried to escape,” he said. He added that some parents later returned to report missing children initially believed to have escaped.
The Bishop dismissed claims that the school was warned by government to shut down its boarding facility. “That is not true, we did not receive any circular, it must be an after thought and a way to shift blame,” he stated. He insisted neither the Diocese, the Education Secretary, nor the National Association of Private Schools received such notice.
Yohanna criticised the alleged propaganda, urging government officials to withdraw “false allegations” and provide evidence if any exists. He assured parents that the Diocese is working closely with security agencies and community leaders to secure the safe return of all abductees.