Parents Rally Over Abducted Pupils In Niger State

More than 200 parents in Papiri, Niger State, gathered on Sunday to demand action after 315 pupils of St. Mary’s Catholic School were taken by gunmen on November 21.

They met at the school to register their names and list their missing children as officials carried out fresh documentation.

The parents took to the streets after weeks of waiting, saying the situation has dragged on without clear updates. Their march followed news that only about 50 pupils had managed to escape, leaving the majority of the children and 12 teachers still held by the kidnappers.

The abduction triggered an immediate response from the state government, which shut down all boarding schools as a precaution. Security agencies launched search and rescue operations across the area in the days that followed.

The Diocese of Minna later released a detailed list showing 265 people still in captivity—239 nursery and primary pupils, 14 secondary school students, and 12 staff members. The document is now serving as a guide for families and authorities working to track those still missing.

Parents who gathered for the registration exercise said the process was necessary to help officials verify names, streamline records, and avoid confusion as rescue efforts continue. Their protest reflected the growing fear and frustration that has gripped the community since the attack.

Many families say they now rely on official lists and the ongoing documentation to stay informed and to press the government for faster action. For them, every day without news deepens the anxiety surrounding the fate of their children.