Fifty of the 303 schoolchildren kidnapped from a Christian boarding school in North Central Nigeria last week managed to escape the bandits' custody, confirmed the Nigerian authorities on Monday.
Armed bandits kidnapped 303 children along with 12 teachers and shot the security guard while executing the move. The officials said on Monday that some 253 pupils remain in captivity. Among the kidnapped students are young children, some of whom are just 6 years old.
In an official statement, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Chairman Bulus Yohanna, a Catholic Bishop who is also the proprietor of the school, said the pupils continued to flee from the bandits’ custody on Friday and Saturday. The country is under US President Donald Trump's scrutiny, who recently designated Nigeria a country of particular concern over the killings of Christians by the armed bandits belonging to both Muslim and Christian tribes.
On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV made "a heartfelt appeal for the urgent release of the hostages." He expressed shock and deep sorrow over the abduction of so many young children and prayed for the separated families.
Kidnappings, particularly of schoolchildren, have become a norm in Nigeria, mainly because most schools lack adequate defence, making them soft targets to gain more attention.
At least 1,500 students have been abducted in Nigeria since the infamous kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls more than a decade ago. Many of the children were released only after ransoms had been paid. Friday's Niger state attack came four days after the abduction of 25 schoolchildren in neighbouring Kebbi state's Maga town.
Nigerian authorities have declared war on the kidnapping gangs and organised crime syndicates.
Also Read: 303 students kidnapped by gunmen in Nigeria
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