Nov. 23 (UPI) — A group of 50 schoolchildren who were kidnapped from St. Mary’s School in Niger state Friday have escaped, the Christian Association of Nigeria reported Sunday. More than 250 people remain in captivity.
The students range in age from 15 to 18 and escaped between Friday and Saturday, the Most Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of CAN said Sunday.
Some of the students hid in bushes to escape their captors, Bloomberg reported. Local farmers helped the children escape, according to Daniel Atori a St. Mary’s schools spokesperson.
School abductions have become more frequent in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, and symbolic of growing insecurity and fear in the region, led by armed gangs targeting schools and demanding ransom for captured students.
The latest round of kidnappings has prompted international concern, and focused scrutiny on broader issues such as government-backed security, access to education and the vulnerability of communities in northern Nigeria.
The latest incident happened as the world’s political and religious leaders, as well as top entertainment personalities, have spoken out against the lack of safety for children in the region, including President Donald Trump, Pope Leo XIV and hip hop artist Nicki Minaj.
In the latest incident, gunmen entered the boarding school early on Friday and took 315 people — 303 students and 12 teachers and staff, remain captive, CAN reported.
The St. Mary’s incident was the second mass kidnapping in the past week, which has increased scrutiny on Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to better police the issue and offer better security for school children.
