Following a brazen kidnapping at a Nigerian Catholic school, 50 out of the 303 abducted students have successfully escaped and are now safely back with their families, officials reported on Sunday. This incident has led to the closure of schools across Niger as authorities respond to the attack.
The students, whose ages range from 10 to 18, managed to escape over the course of Friday and Saturday, according to Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna. He is the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger state and also oversees the school.
Despite the escape of some students, 253 students and 12 teachers from St. Mary’s School remain in captivity. Yohanna explained, “We gathered this information by reaching out to and visiting some of the parents.”
Authorities have not disclosed further information regarding the means of escape for the freed children or the whereabouts of those still held captive.
A photograph released by the Christian Association of Nigeria depicts the dormitories of St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School, which were the scene of the abductions carried out by armed assailants in the Papiri community, Nigeria, on Friday, November 21, 2025. (Christian Association of Nigeria via AP)
Pope Leo XIV made an impassioned plea for the immediate release of the abducted students and staff during his address at the conclusion of a Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, expressing his profound sorrow over the tragic event.
“I feel great sorrow, especially for the many girls and boys who have been abducted and for their anguished families,” the pontiff said. “I make a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages and urge the competent authorities to take appropriate and timely decisions to ensure their release.”
In this photo released by the Christian Association of Nigeria, a man walks past belongings at the St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School after gunmen abducted children and staff in Papiri community, Nigeria, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (Christian Association of Nigeria via AP)
No group has come forward to claim responsibility for the attack, The Associated Press reported. The outlet added that authorities said tactical squads and local hunters were working to rescue the kidnapped children.
Niger State quickly shut down all schools after Friday’s attack, while the Nigerian government also closed several federal colleges in conflict-prone areas across the region.
The attack at St. Mary’s came just four days after armed men kidnapped 25 girls from a boarding school in Kebbi State, killing at least one staff member. The search for the missing girls is ongoing.
This photo released by the Christian Association of Nigeria shows the dormitories of St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School after gunmen abducted children and staff in Papiri community in Nigeria, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (Christian Association of Nigeria via AP)
Meanwhile, 38 worshippers kidnapped during a deadly church attack in central Nigeria’s Kwara State have been freed, Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said Sunday. Gunmen had attacked the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku town on Tuesday, killing two and taking others hostage. President Bola Tinubu credited “the efforts of security agencies” for securing their release but offered no further details.
Nigeria has seen a series of attacks on Christians and their institutions, prompting President Donald Trump to declare the West African nation a “country of particular concern.” However, the Nigerian government has disputed the U.S.’s claims.
“I’m really angry about it,” the president told Fox News Radio on Friday. “What’s happening in Nigeria is a disgrace.”
