How helicopter, vehicles aided mass abduction at Niger Catholic School – Principal

Fresh details have emerged about the abduction of hundreds of pupils and 12 teachers from St. Mary’s Private Catholic School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, more than a week after the tragic incident.

The school’s principal, Felicia Gyang, and the head teacher, Blessing Amodu, recounted the terrifying moment they heard a helicopter hovering above the school while gunmen moved children away using vehicles and motorcycles AIT reports 

Despite the scale of the attack, they said no assistance arrived during the raid.

They also recalled hearing some of the attackers openly discussing abducting the children “so they can make money.”

IDOMA VOICE gathered that no terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the mass abduction, and no ransom demand has been issued for the release of the children and their teachers.

Meanwhile, anxiety and frustration are mounting as parents and relatives of the 239 abducted pupils and 12 teachers stormed the school premises in a protest, pleading with authorities to expedite efforts to free their loved ones.

The parents gathered to submit the names of their missing children following a directive from government officials. So far, 215 parents and guardians have been documented.

The journey from Minna, the Niger State capital, to Papiri in Agwara LGA is lengthy, but the atmosphere that greeted reporters on arrival was heartbreaking.

The school compound was filled with cries, wailing, and visible despair as families protested, demanding immediate action to bring the children home.

Some parents, who lost four to five children in one swoop, could barely speak.

They lamented that their abducted children some as young as six were enduring unimaginable conditions in captivity.

One of the parents, 35-year-old Samson Najajah, whose 15-year-old son was taken, recalled his own 2021 abduction.

He said the terrorists who captured him rejected the Naira as ransom, insisting on receiving the CFA currency, making him deeply fearful of what the children might be facing.

A teacher, Martha Mathias, recounted how her five-year-old daughter unintentionally saved her from also being abducted, while her husband was taken along with the students.

The Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and proprietor of the school, Most Reverend Bulus Yohanna, expressed hope that the children and teachers would be safely rescued.

He noted that the school serves more than 50 communities within and beyond Agwara LGA.

As the tense wait continues, one haunting question remains on the minds of parents: How long will hope sustain them before it fades?