CAN Confirms 50 Pupils Have Escaped and Reunited With Their Parents After Niger School Mass Abduction

In a rare moment of relief amid one of Nigeria’s largest school kidnappings in recent years, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has announced that 50 of the abducted pupils have successfully escaped and reunited with their parents.

In a statement released on Saturday evening, CAN revealed:

>We have received some good news as 50 pupils escaped and have reunited with their parents.”

According to the association, the children escaped between Friday and Saturday, slipping away from their captors under circumstances that are still being pieced together by local authorities.

The development comes after armed bandits stormed St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara LGA of Niger State in the early hours of Friday—between 2am and 3am—and abducted 227 people, including 215 pupils and 12 teachers.

A Small Victory in a Devastating Tragedy

While the escape of 50 pupils brings hope to traumatised families, 177 victims remain in captivity, raising fears of prolonged negotiations, ransom demands, and potential harm—patterns long associated with mass abductions in northern Nigeria.

Parents flooded local churches and community centres on Saturday, some weeping with relief as they were reunited with their children, while others cried out in anguish, still waiting for news of their missing loved ones.

Government Yet to Give Detailed Update

Niger State authorities and security agencies have not released a comprehensive account of the rescue effort or the circumstances leading to the pupils’ escape. However, security sources say intensified pressure in surrounding forests may have destabilized the abductors’ hold, creating an opportunity for escape.

National Outrage Growing

The mass kidnapping has sparked fresh criticism of the federal government’s security strategy, especially coming just days after another deadly attack on a Kwara church and ongoing bandit activity across northern states.

Human rights groups and international observers are calling for urgent intervention, while CAN continues to plead for prayers, community vigilance, and a coordinated security response.

This is a developing story. Busterblog will continue to monitor updates as efforts intensify to rescue the remaining abducted pupils and teachers.