UPDATED: 315 students, teachers confirmed abducted after 88 more students declared missing in deadly armed bandits attack on Catholic school
The total abducted students of the St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, now 303, the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora has declared.
This was confirmed after parents were said to have gone to school to evacuate their children but couldn’t find them after the attack.
It would be recalled the armed bandits had invaded the school in the wee hours of Friday, kidnapping students and staff.
In an update on Saturday morning, Most. Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna of the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese said a total of 303 students are now missing, making total of the abducted students and teachers to be 315 altogether.
According to CAN Chairman, who doubled as the Catholic Bishop of Kontogora Diocese, earlier confirmed that 215 students and 12 teachers were abducted.
“I have just got back from the village this night after I visited the school where I also met with parents of the children to assure them that we are working with the government and security agencies to see that our children are rescued and brought back safely,” Yohanna said.
He added, “It is worth noting that during the terrorist attack, some students escaped, and parents have started coming to pick up their children as the school has to be shut down.”
He said the school had a population of 430 pupils in primary section and 199 secondary students.
The Bishop denied any prior warning from either the government or security agencies as claimed by the Secretary to State government.
“We have asked the Education Secretary if he received a circular he said no; or if he was asked to send any to us, he said no. We asked if he was verbally informed, he also said no. Let them tell the world who they gave the circular to, or through what channel did they send it.
“We also asked the National Association of Private Schools, they did not get any such circular. They claimed the school was shutdown and reopened few days ago, that is also not true, we are law abiding”, he said through his aide, Daniel Atori.
