Laleye Dipo in Minna

At least fifty students of the St Mary’s Private Primary and Secondary school in Papiri town of Agwara local government area of Niger state kidnapped last week have escaped from the den of their abductors.

ThISDAY learnt that 10 of the escaped students are girls, going by the names given on the manifest released by the school on Sunday.

Earlier, 11 students escaped from the kidnappers thereby bringing the number of those that have regained their freedom to 66.However, there has been no report of any of the kidnapped teachers escaping.

The Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State chapter, Most. Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who is also the Proprietor of the school as well as the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, gave the update in a statement in Minna on Sunday.

Most Reverend Yohanna also said that 141 students of the school initially feared to have been abducted were not kidnapped.

The 61 students and the 141 he said have reunited with their parents.Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago visited the Emirate headquarters of the area where the incident took place on Saturday and blamed the incident on “informants.”

UMCA”s Reverend Yohanna Yakubu whose daughter is among those kidnapped pleaded with Governor Bago “to help rescue my daughter.”