The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora has released an updated list of pupils and staff members still in captivity following the attack on St. Mary’s Catholic Schools, Papiri, in Niger State.
According to the diocese, the revised compilation, completed on November 24, shows that 265 people remain unaccounted for.
The breakdown includes five teachers, seven non-academic staff, 14 secondary school students, and 239 nursery and primary school pupils.
The victims were abducted on Friday, November 21, 2025, when armed bandits overran the school community in yet another major attack targeting schoolchildren.
Earlier, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) reported that 50 abductees had escaped and reunited with their families.
CAN also disclosed that a thorough recount revealed 315 people were initially abducted, a figure higher than early estimates, as some victims thought to have escaped were later discovered to be missing.
Images shared by CAN Chairman and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora, Bishop Bulus Yohanna, showed empty dormitories with scattered belongings, a grim reminder of the scale of the attack.
Bishop Yohanna appealed for calm and urged Nigerians to remain prayerful, assuring the public that church authorities were collaborating closely with security agencies to facilitate the safe return of the captives.
He debunked claims that the school had been warned ahead of the attack, describing such rumours as baseless.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has declared a national security emergency, directing security forces to implement a full cordon around forests in Kwara State due to a surge in kidnappings and terrorist activities.
The President also ordered intensified aerial surveillance by the Nigerian Air Force in remote forest zones where the armed groups are believed to be hiding.
