50 Nigerian Students Escape Captivity; 253 Still Missing after Mass School Abduction
A Catholic school in Niger state has reported that 50 of its students who were abducted last week have escaped, while 253 children and 12 teachers remain missing.
Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger state and proprietor of the school, told the media in a statement Sunday that the students, aged between 10 and 18, returned one by one between Friday and Saturday after being abducted from St. Mary's Catholic School.
"We were able to ascertain this when we decided to contact and visit some parents," Yohanna said, CBS News reported. "As much as we receive the return of these 50 children that escaped with some sigh of relief, I urge you all to continue in your prayers for the rescue and safe return of the remaining victims."
At the present time, the location of the remaining missing students and staff is unknown, while no group has claimed responsibility, The Christian Post reported.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu issued a statement on social media celebrating the return of the students while also vowing that this administration is committed to returning everyone who was abducted home.
“Let me be clear: I will not relent. Every Nigerian, in every state, has the right to safety — and under my watch, we will secure this nation and protect our people,” Tinubu said.
Friday’s kidnapping took place just four days after 25 students were abducted from Maga, a town in neighboring Kebbi state, about 106 miles away.
Both incidents are part of a wave of school abductions in Nigeria's northern region, where kidnapping for ransom has become a lucrative tool for armed groups that dominate remote areas with limited state presence. According to persecution watchdog organization Open Doors, 20,000 people were abducted in Nigeria between 2019-2023, noting that "[k]idnapping is big business, funding Islamist expansion and tied to active terrorist groups."
"Many of these bandits have been known to target anyone who will pay a price — but they have learned that Christians, and specifically religious leaders, can fetch a higher ransom," the organization wrote in an October report. "This makes the Christians and religious leaders specifically vulnerable targets."
It has been reported that 7,000 Christians have been killed in 2025 alone, while tens of thousands of Christians have been killed in the last decade overall. Open Doors has also reported that more Christians are killed in Nigeria, ranked number 7 on its list of countries where Christian persecution is most rampant, than in every other country combined.
Earlier this month, U.S. Rep. Riley Moore introduced a congressional resolution condemning the persecution, while President Donald Trump designated Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern."
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Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Kylie Ellway
Originally published November 26, 2025.
