Nigerian Government Claims All Abducted Catholic Students Released While School Says 35 Still Missing
Nigerian government officials declared victory in securing the release of all students and staff abducted from St Mary's Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, while the school management and Christian Association of Nigeria maintain that as many as 35 people remain unaccounted for, exposing dangerous discrepancies in tracking victims of Nigeria's worsening kidnapping crisis.
Presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare announced on December 22, 2024 that the government had secured the release of 130 remaining captives from the November 21 mass abduction, stating categorically that no victim remained in captivity. Wasiu Abiodun, Niger State police spokesperson, confirmed the development, saying released persons included both students and staff members.
However, the Christian Association of Nigeria and St Mary's Catholic School management provided starkly different accounting of the abduction and releases. CAN originally reported that 315 students and staff were kidnapped from the Catholic boarding school dormitories on November 21.
Following the escape of approximately 50 victims immediately during the attack and the December 7 release of around 100 captives, CAN calculated that 165 people should have remained in captivity before the latest government announcement.
The mathematics reveal the problem. If 315 were taken, 50 escaped, 100 were released in December, and 130 were released on December 21, that accounts for only 280 people, leaving 35 unaccounted for by the school's original estimates.
School management expressed concern that some victims could remain missing despite government declarations that all hostages have been freed.
A United Nations source told AFP that all those taken appeared to have been released, suggesting dozens thought to have been kidnapped had in fact managed to run off during the attack and make their way home independently. However, this explanation has not been verified by school officials who maintain daily contact with families and would know which students returned home versus which remain missing.
Daniel Atori, spokesman for CAN in Niger state, stated that Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago called the bishop of Kontagora diocese, which runs St Mary's Catholic School, to confirm the release of children and teachers, though the governor never mentioned specific figures. Atori emphasized that final verification would still need to be conducted to determine actual numbers.
The conflicting figures follow a pattern in Nigerian mass abductions where exact numbers of victims remain unclear throughout ordeals. From the initial attack through multiple releases, authorities, church organizations, and families have provided different counts of those taken and those freed, making comprehensive accounting impossible and leaving families uncertain whether loved ones have actually been recovered.
Security sources confirmed the remaining captives were freed December 20 in a forest between Agwara and Borgu Local Government Areas, with security personnel from the Office of the National Security Adviser overseeing the evacuation under heavy protection. The release allegedly followed intensive negotiations between government and abductors, though it remained unclear whether ransom was paid despite laws technically prohibiting such payments.
The abduction from St Mary's Catholic School represented the single largest school kidnapping in Niger State history. Data shows that since January 2023, at least 816 pupils have been abducted in 22 separate school attacks across Niger State alone, demonstrating the systematic targeting of educational institutions particularly in Christian communities.
The St Mary's abduction occurred amid a devastating wave of mass kidnappings across Nigeria in November 2024. Just three days before the Catholic school attack, 25 Muslim schoolgirls were kidnapped from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State. Additionally, 38 church worshippers were abducted during services, and a bride with her bridesmaids was taken during a wedding ceremony, alongside numerous farmers, women, and children seized for ransom.
Nigeria's kidnapping crisis has evolved into what SBM Intelligence describes as a structured, profit seeking criminal enterprise generating an estimated $1.66 million between July 2024 and June 2025. The Lagos based consultancy documented the transformation of kidnap for ransom from opportunistic crime into organized industry with systematic targeting and financial infrastructure.
A decade after Boko Haram's 2014 abduction of nearly 300 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State, which provoked global outrage, Nigeria faces an intensifying crisis where students cannot safely attend school without risk of kidnapping.
At least 1,400 students have been abducted from Nigerian schools since the Chibok attack, with kidnappings concentrated in northwestern and central regions where dozens of armed groups target villagers and travelers for ransom.
Human Rights Watch called on Nigerian authorities to act urgently to protect schools and communities from further attacks while prioritizing safe release of kidnapped children. Anietie Ewang, Nigeria researcher at Human Rights Watch, stated that mass school kidnappings lay bare the deliberate targeting of students, teachers, and schools in Nigeria's deteriorating security environment.
The discrepancy between government claims and church estimates regarding St Mary's Catholic School victims highlights broader problems in Nigeria's response to kidnapping crisis, where authorities prioritize announcing victories over accurate accounting, potentially leaving victims abandoned while officials claim success. Families remain uncertain whether their children have actually been recovered or remain in captivity while government declares mission accomplished.
THE CRUSADER'S OPINION
The Nigerian government says everyone is free.
The church says 35 people are still missing.
Someone is lying. And it's probably not the church that runs the school and knows which students came home.
This is Nigeria's kidnapping crisis in microcosm. Numbers never match. Government claims victory. Families don't know if their children are dead or alive. And nobody is held accountable for the confusion.
315 students and staff were kidnapped from a Catholic school. That's what the Christian Association of Nigeria reported. The people who actually know the students and track enrollment.
50 escaped during the attack. 100 released December 7. 130 released December 21.
That's 280 people. Not 315.
Where are the other 35?
Government says everyone is free. Case closed. Mission accomplished. But when you do the math, dozens of people are unaccounted for. And the government isn't explaining the discrepancy.
This happens every time in Nigeria. Numbers fluctuate. Government announces releases. Schools say people are still missing. Families wait for children who never come home. And eventually everyone stops asking questions because another mass abduction happens and the cycle starts again.
816 students abducted in 22 attacks in Niger State alone since January 2023. That's just one state. Just students. Not counting the farmers, church worshippers, brides, children, and travelers kidnapped for ransom across the country.
Kidnapping is a $1.66 million industry in Nigeria. Structured. Organized. Systematic. And the government can't even count victims accurately when they're supposedly rescued.
The Defence Minister resigned. Good. He failed. But resignation doesn't bring back missing students or make the government tell the truth about how many are still captive.
Christian schools are primary targets. Catholic boarding schools. Christian communities. Church services interrupted by armed gangs who march believers into forests and demand ransom.
And when some are released, the government claims total victory while the church counts empty seats and missing children.
This is why Nigerian Christian leaders are begging for help. Because their government lies about rescues, downplays kidnappings, and leaves victims behind while announcing success.
35 people might still be captive. Or dead. Or wandering forests trying to find home. Nobody knows because Nigeria's government cares more about propaganda than accurate accounting.
Children can't go to school without being kidnapped. Christians can't attend church without being abducted. And when mass abductions happen, the government can't even count correctly.
This is the reality Nigerian Christians face. Systematic targeting. Government incompetence. And official declarations of victory while families still search for missing loved ones.
TAKE ACTION
Support Nigerian Christian Communities: International Christian Concern (Nigeria operations) Website: https://www.persecution.org/countries/nigeria Phone: +1 (800) 422-5441 Email: icc@persecution.org Provides support to families of kidnapping victims
Demand Accurate Accounting: Nigerian Embassy (US): +1 (202) 986-8400 Nigerian Embassy (UK): +44 (0)20 7839-1244 Message: "Government claims all St Mary's Catholic School victims released while church says 35 remain missing. Provide accurate accounting. Stop declaring victory while Christians remain captive."
Support Christian Association of Nigeria: Contact through local Nigerian churches supporting CAN's efforts to track and rescue abducted Christians
Contact Human Rights Watch: Website: https://www.hrw.org Amplify their calls for Nigerian government accountability on school kidnappings and accurate victim tracking
Pressure Your Government: Demand representatives raise discrepancies in victim counts with Nigerian officials. Condition aid on transparent accounting of kidnapping victims and actual protection of Christian communities.
Support Barnabas Fund: Website: https://barnabasfund.org Phone: +44 (0)1793 432 178 Email: info@barnabasfund.org Provides emergency assistance to Nigerian Christian families affected by kidnappings
Document the Discrepancies: Track and share cases where Nigerian government claims differ from church reports. Create public record of government misinformation about Christian persecution.
Start Conversations: Ask: "If the Nigerian government says all kidnapped Catholic students were released but the church says 35 are still missing, who should we believe? And why does this discrepancy exist in every mass abduction?"
