Bishop Bulus Confirms Release of 100 Abducted Catholic School Children

Bishop of Kontagora Catholic Diocese, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, has confirmed the release of one hundred children abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri community, Niger State.

According to the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Yohanna said, “It is true. So far, 100 children have been released. We thank God for everything.”

This is another major breakthrough since armed men kidnapped over 300 students and staff on November 21.

Despite the latest release, 153 students and 12 staff members remain imprisoned.

The mass abduction occurred when gunmen stormed the private boarding school, taking 239 nursery and primary pupils, 14 secondary students, and 12 staff.

The trauma surrounding the incident has reportedly led to the deaths of two parents: Anthony Musa, father of three abducted children, and a mother identified only as Esther.

In a post on X, United States Congressman Riley Moore, who recently introduced a resolution on Christian persecution in Nigeria and visited the country, described the 7 December rescue as “a positive demonstration of the government’s increasing response to the security situation.”

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He said he had discussed “concrete steps and actions” with Nigerian officials aimed at improving security and disrupting terrorist networks, particularly in the northeast.