By Ghazali Ibrahim
The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, has disclosed that the number of victims abducted by suspected terrorists from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwarra Local Government Area of Niger State has risen to 315.
Yohanna, who also serves as the Niger State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), said the updated figure followed a final verification and headcount conducted after the attack.
He explained that an additional 88 students were discovered to be missing after it became clear that several children earlier believed to have escaped had also been captured.
“After we left the school at Papiri, we made calls and carried out further enquiries. Some parents whose children we thought had escaped came asking for them. That was when we became concerned and conducted a census, only to find that more students were abducted,” he said.
The final tally, according to him, stands at 303 students both male and female and 12 teachers, comprising four women and eight men.
The Bishop strongly criticised claims by government and security officials that the school ignored earlier warnings to shut down its boarding facilities.
He described the allegations as “propaganda,” insisting that neither the Catholic Diocese nor the school authorities received any such circular.
“I visited the school and met with parents to assure them that we are working with authorities for the safe return of the children. But I was surprised to hear this propaganda that the school was warned through a circular. That is not true. We did not receive any circular. It must be an afterthought meant to shift blame,” he said.
Yohanna added that the Catholic Diocese has a long record of adhering to security advisories, including shutting down the school in 2022 when similar threats emerged.
He refuted claims that the school was recently closed and reopened, calling the allegation false and baseless.
He also dismissed reports that some Reverend Sisters travelled to Abuja before the attack, challenging anyone making the claims to provide proof.
According to him, neither the Education Secretary nor the National Association of Private Schools received any warning from the government, raising questions about the authenticity and origin of the alleged circular.
Yohanna reaffirmed the Diocese’s commitment to working closely with security agencies, government officials, community leaders and other stakeholders to ensure the safe rescue and return of all abductees.
