At least two parents of the abducted students of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, have reportedly died from shock and trauma following the kidnapping of their children.
The deceased include one male and one female parent.
The Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and proprietor of the school, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, confirmed the development in a statement released in Minna.
He revealed that one of the victims, Anthony Musa, suffered a heart attack after discovering that three of his children were among the students kidnapped by gunmen last Friday.
Bishop Yohanna, who also serves as the Niger State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), explained that the identity of the female parent who died from trauma has not yet been confirmed.
According to him, “The man, Anthony Musa, died of a heart attack, but the female, we don’t have the details yet because we couldn’t reach the family.”
Gunmen had stormed St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, on Friday, November 21, 2025, abducting 303 students and 12 teachers in one of the largest school kidnappings reported in Niger State.
However, on Sunday, November 23, a total of 50 students who managed to escape between Friday and Saturday were reunited with their families.
“This is to notify the public that, as at Sunday, 23rd November 2025, we have received some good news as fifty pupils escaped and have reunited with their parents. We were able to ascertain this when we decided to contact and visit some parents,” Rev. Yohanna said.
The mass abduction at St. Mary’s Catholic School adds to a growing list of school kidnappings across northern Nigeria, intensifying calls for improved security around educational institutions and heightening public concern nationwide.
