At least two parents of abducted students from St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, have reportedly died due to shock and trauma following the abduction of their children.
The two deceased parents are a man and a woman.
The Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Kontagora and owner of the school, Monsignor Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, confirmed the fact in a statement issued in Minna.
He explained that one of the parents, Anthony Musa, suffered a heart attack after learning that three of his children were among those kidnapped by armed men last Friday.
Bishop Yohanna, who is also the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, said the identity of the other father who died as a result of the trauma caused by the kidnapping is yet to be ascertained.
According to him, “the man, Anthony Musa, died of a heart attack, but we still do not have the details of the woman because we could not contact the family.”
Recall that armed bandits invaded St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, and kidnapped 303 students and 12 teachers on Friday, November 21, 2025.
On Sunday, November 23, a total of 50 of the kidnapped students, who escaped from their captors between Friday and Saturday, were reunited with their parents.
“This is to notify the public that, as of Sunday, November 23, 2025, we received good news: fifty students escaped and were reunited with their parents. We were able to verify this when we decided to contact and visit some parents,” according to the statement issued by Reverend Yohanna.
The abduction at St. Mary’s Catholic School is one of several incidents of mass abductions targeting schools in various parts of northern Nigeria, highlighting the need for greater security and protection for educational institutions and sparking widespread outrage and concern.
The state governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, stated that efforts are being made to safely rescue the remaining missing students.