The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora in Niger State has published the names of 50 students who escaped after the mass abduction at St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area.
Armed men invaded the school on November 21 and seized 315 people, including 303 students and 12 teachers. The incident has become one of the largest school kidnappings recorded in the state.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) earlier confirmed that 50 of the abducted pupils managed to flee from captivity.
According to the association, the children returned home discreetly. CAN noted that they “quietly reunited with their families”.
Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of the Niger State chapter of CAN and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, said officials later traced the children after reaching out to parents.
He explained that the pupils did not immediately report back to the school due to the trauma of the incident.
Yohanna said the escapees were confirmed after “officials contacted and visited some parents”.
The diocese has now released the list of the 50 pupils found safe. They are:
1. Samson Bitrus
2. Justina Adamu
3. Emmanuel Francis
4. Keziah Musa
5. Amos Mathew
6. Lawrence James
7. Timothy Peter
8. Lawrence Yohanna
9. Ayuba Victor
10. Marcus Bulus
11. Bulus Emmanuel
12. Mariam Joshua
13. Bulus Samaila
14. Mathew Dauda
15. Caleb Hosea
16. Micah Luka
17. Catherine Emmanuel
18. Michael Jacob
19. Christopher Ezekiel
20. Musa Timothy
21. Dominic Daniel
22. Naomi Bulus
23. Dominic Elisha
24. Nicodemus Ibrahim
25. Elisha Harunna
26. Peter Jonathan
27. Elisha Yakubu
28. Pricillia Peter
29. Ezekiel Emmanuel
30. Emmanuel Godwin
31. Ezekiel Joel
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32. Samaila Dauda
33. Ezekiel Pius
34. Stephen Anthony
35. Ezra James
36. Sunday Shedrack
37. Friday Joel
38. Gloria Jeremiah
39. Veronica Iliya
40. Victoria Ishaku
41. Godiya Mathew
42. Vincent Emmanuel
43. Iliya Philip
44. Wisdom Fabian
45. Ishaya David
46. Yakubu Saminu
47. Joseph Sunday
48. Yunusa Musa
49. Julius Paul
50. Yusuf Sunday
The remaining students and staff are still in captivity as security agencies continue their operations.