50 Nigerian School Students Kidnapped Managed To Escape

Illustration of students in Nigeria. (Wikimedia Commons/Dolapo Falola)

JAKARTA - Fifty of the more than 300 children kidnapped by gunmen from a Catholic school in Nigeria managed to escape, a Christian group said on Sunday.

Armed groups stormed St. Coeducation school Mary in Niger State, Nigeria, carrying 303 children and 12 teachers and staff in one of Nigeria's largest mass kidnappings.

The kidnapping came days after gunmen stormed a high school in the neighboring state of Kebbi and kidnapped 25 girls.

"We received good news because fifty students managed to escape and have reunited with their parents," the Nigerian Christian Association (CAN) said in a statement, adding they fled between Friday and Saturday.

The statement added that there were still 251 elementary school students, 14 high school students, and 12 teachers who were still sweeping the kidnappers.

The number of boys and girls, between the ages of eight and 18, was kidnapped from St. Mary is almost half of the population of school students totaling more than 600 people.

The Nigerian government has not commented on the number of kidnapped students and teachers.

"Although we are relieved by the return of the 50 children who fled, I still invite all of you to continue to pray for the rescue and return of the remaining victims safely," said Head of CAN in Niger Bulus Dauwa State Yohanna who is also the owner of the school in the statement.

The growing concern for security in Africa has sparked a wave of school closures across the country.

Since Islamist militants kidnapped nearly 300 students from Chibok City more than a decade ago, Nigeria has been battling a spate of mass kidnappings, most of which were carried out by criminal gangs seeking ransom.

Armed people often attack remote boarding schools where they know the lack of security presence will make it an easy target. Most of the victims were released after negotiations.