Full names of the 50 students Who have Escaped from captivity
More than fifty students abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, located in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, have regained their freedom after days in captivity. The development has brought relief to families, religious bodies, and community leaders who had been anxiously waiting for updates following the abduction.
Ejes Gist Media reports in the second paragraph that the escape was confirmed by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, which disclosed that the rescued children quietly returned home between Friday and Saturday.
According to a statement issued by Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, the Niger State CAN chairman and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, the students managed to find a way out without confrontation and reunited with their families without requiring any public negotiation or violent exchange. The escape has been described by local observers as one of the most dramatic resolution cases in recent school abductions recorded in rural communities in the country.
Background: How the Abduction Happened
The attack on the Catholic-run primary and secondary school took place earlier when armed men invaded Papiri community and took away more than fifty schoolchildren. The incident occurred at a time when several schools in remote Nigerian communities have faced growing threats from criminal groups responsible for mass kidnappings.
Security briefings from local authorities indicate that the kidnappers struck at night, targeting vulnerable communities with limited security presence. Reports from community sources suggest that the assailants operated swiftly, rounding up the children and moving them into nearby bush routes. Parents, teachers, and residents raised alarm and informed authorities immediately after the attackers fled.
Before this escape, there had been no disclosure of ransom demands, official negotiations, or confirmed details on the conditions under which the students were being held. The return of the students without government-led intervention suggests that the children either found an escape route or their captors lost control over their movements.
CAN Confirms Quiet Return of the Students
The Niger State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria confirmed the return in a written statement. Bishop Yohanna said the students came home individually and silently, making the situation more discreet than many other high-profile school kidnapping incidents.
He explained that parents and guardians were the first to confirm the return after identifying their children at home. No unrest, rescue shoot-out, or military confrontation was recorded. Community leaders have described the situation as fortunate, considering the different outcomes seen in other school abduction cases across the country.
Security Details Not Yet Released
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies have not publicly detailed what led to the successful escape. No official statement has been released from the Nigerian Police or military units operating within the area. Local media sources in Niger State have indicated that security operatives may still be combing the area to determine:
- Whether the kidnappers fled the location.
- Whether the students escaped during a disengagement gap.
- Whether community assistance was secretly involved.
- If more victims remain unaccounted for.
The lack of a major public-security-led recovery raises questions among analysts on the conditions inside the captivity camp and how such a group could lose control of more than fifty students.
Full List of the 50 Pupils Who Escaped
- Samson Bitrus
- Emmanuel Francis
- Amos Mathew
- Timothy Peter
- Ayuba Victor
- Bulus Emmanuel
- Bulus Samaila
- Caleb Hossa
- Catherine Emmanuel
- Christopher Ezekiel
- Dominic Daniel
- Dominic Elisha
- Elisha Haruna
- Ezekiel Yakubu
- Ezekiel Emmanuel
- Ezekiel Samuel
- Ezekiel Plus
- Ezra James
- Femi Peter
- Gloria Jeremiah
- Godiya Mathew
- Ibiya
- Ishaaya David
- Joseph Sunday
- Julius Paul
- Justina Adamu
- Keziah Musa
- Lawrence James
- Lawrence Yohanna
- Marcus Bulus
- Mariam Joshua
- Mathew Dauda
- Micah Luka
- Michael Jacob
- Musa Timothy
- Naomi Bulus
- Nicodemus Ibrahim
- Peter Jonathan
- Priscilla Peter
- Emmanuel Godwin
- Samaila Dauda
- Stephen Andrew
- Sunday Shadrach
- Victoria David
- Victoria Ishaku
- Vincent Emmanuel
- Yahaya Sani
- Yakubu Saminu
- Yunusa Musa
- Yusuf Sunday
Relief Among Parents and Community Members
Families in Papiri community have expressed great relief after days of fear and uncertainty. Most parents were unable to communicate with their abducted children and were left in prolonged distress as they waited for updates. The quiet return of the students eased tension across the community, which had been living under anxiety since the abduction occurred.
Community figures describe the incident as one of the most difficult experiences in the area’s history. The school, being one of the few structured educational institutions in the locality, serves children from multiple nearby villages. The return of the children has restored hope, but concerns remain over future safety and the possibility of further attacks.
Growing Pattern of School Abductions
This latest incident adds to a rising number of school abductions targeting communities in northern Nigeria. Armed groups have continued to attack schools due to limited resistance, reduced law enforcement presence, and the vulnerability of remote towns. Several factors are believed to contribute to the persistence of these attacks:
- Limited surveillance in rural communities.
- Challenging terrain that allows easy movement for gangs.
- Low defensive capacity of residents.
- Lack of fast-response security infrastructure.
- Growing criminal operations in forests linking multiple states.
Security analysts have repeatedly warned that criminal gangs have diversified and expanded operations, targeting civilians, villages, transport operators, farmlands, herders, and now schools. The kidnapping of students also places pressure on families and communities, making them more likely to negotiate quickly out of fear.
Government Response and Policy Context
Federal and state authorities have maintained that efforts are ongoing to secure schools, reinforce local intelligence networks, and improve rapid response capability. Several policies have been discussed over the years to protect schools in vulnerable regions, including the Safe Schools Initiative and the deployment of additional military and police personnel.
However, local communities argue that consistent implementation remains a challenge due to the large geographic expanse of affected states and limited resources. Many rural schools have no perimeter fencing, no assigned security teams, and operate far from highways or accessible roads.
Education experts warn that these realities continue to threaten school attendance and hinder learning outcomes across northern states. Each major abduction leads to school closures, mass withdrawals of students, and psychological trauma among young learners.
Humanitarian and Educational Impact
Incidents of mass abduction have had significant effects on education in many rural areas. Students often face fear-driven absenteeism, schools temporarily shut down after attacks, and teachers may resign or request relocation to safer towns.
International education agencies monitoring Nigeria’s security challenges report that schoolchildren exposed to traumatic incidents often struggle with concentration, retention, and emotional stability long after returning home. Some communities also witness an increase in early marriage and child labour when schools are repeatedly targeted and parents withdraw their children permanently.
The escape of the Papiri students may encourage some confidence among parents, but long-term measures will be required to ensure that children can learn without fear.
