By Mary Onyia
Recent reports concerning the early morning attack of bandits at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State, reveal that the actual numbers of students captured are more than 300, with 12 staff of the school.
It represents an increase from 227 earlier reported number to about 312 persons in total that were abducted from the boarding school at around 2;00am and 3;00am in the morning of Friday, November 21, 2025, the Christian Association of Nigeria reveals.
The ages of the children kidnapped by the gunmen are between 8 to 12 years.
According to Chairman of the Niger State Chapter of CAN, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, the actual number of the abducted was verified after the school carried out a verification exercise to ascertain the exact number of missing persons.
Yohanna disclosed that 88 other students were captured after they attempted to escape during the attack on the school, which has more than 50 classrooms and dormitory building.
CAN, however, assured parents that the association is working with security agencies to ensure the release of the abductees, and pleaded with the parents to remain calm, and support the rescue efforts with their prayers.
The killings and abductions seemingly exacerbated after the threat by the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump to intervene in Nigeria, over the genocide and deliberate killings of Christians in the country. Trump went ahead to designate Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’, threatening to cut all aids and assistance to Nigeria, if the government of Nigeria fails to act decisively to stop the killings.