The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora in Niger State has released a detailed list of students and staff who remain in captivity following a recent school abduction that has shocked the nation. Among the 265 victims, an overwhelming majority—239—are children from the Nursery and Primary sections, while 14 are in secondary school and 12 are staff members.
The breakdown of the younger pupils highlights the scale of the tragedy: 7 children from Nursery 1, 32 from Nursery 2, 62 from Primary 1, 45 from Primary 2, 32 from Primary 3, 26 from Primary 4, 19 from Primary 5, and 16 from other primary classes are still missing. Reports indicate that about 50 students managed to escape during the abduction as they were being led into the forest. The precise ages of the younger pupils were not specified, but they fall within typical Nursery and Primary age groups.
Efforts to contact the abductors have so far been unsuccessful, leaving school authorities, parents, and government officials without any information regarding the victims’ whereabouts.
In response to the crisis, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Niger State Chapter strongly condemned the abduction, labeling it a “barbaric act” and a “grave violation of human rights.” Comrade Idrees Abdulkareem Lafene, NLC Chairman, called on security agencies—including the Police, DSS, military, and local vigilante groups—to step up coordinated rescue operations.
He also urged both state and federal governments to provide necessary resources, intelligence, and logistical support to ensure the safe release of the abducted students and staff. “Education is the cornerstone of our development, and any attack on our children is an attack on the future of Niger State and Nigeria,” the NLC declared, emphasizing the need for unity, peace, and close cooperation with authorities in the ongoing rescue efforts.
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