New list show say over 200 of di kidnapped students from St Mary's Catholic school Niger State be primary pupils

Catholic Diocese of Kontagora for Niger State don release new list of pupils and staff wey still dey for bandits hand after di attack on St. Mary's Catholic Schools, Papiri, Niger State for northern Nigeria.

Di diocese tok say di new list wey dem release on November 24 show say 265 pipo still dey captive for bandit hand.

Di breakdown include five teachers, seven non-academic staff, 14 secondary school students and 239 nursery and primary pupils.

Na on Friday, November 21, 2025, armed men invade di school community and kidnap di students and staff.

Meanwhile, some parents wey follow BBC tok for Niger State earlier say dem dey inside pain and sorrow as dia pikin still dey for di hand of bandits.

Di kidnappers bin break windows, scata di glasses and force dem wit gun make dem open di door while dem still dey half-sleep.

One parent and eyewitness Theo, not im real name, wey witness di abduction bin tok wetin e see.

"Dem dey traffic di children on foot like how shepherds dey control dia animals, some children dey fall and di men go kick dem make dem stand," e tok.

"Di gunmen dey use about 50 motorcycles to control dem."

E say e feel powerless to stop di armed men from carrying di children go. E even call police but wen dem reach, e don late.

Di Govnor of Niger State, Umar Bago, bin say e still dey question di correct number of students wey dem claim say bandits kidnap from St Mary's School for Papiri inside one interview wit BBC.

Bago repeat say govment bin don order make dem close di school bicos security no dey.

E tok say wetin hapun for di school "surprise person and still no surprise person, bicos we don close di school bifor sake of insecurity for di area."

"We no even sabi wen dem open the school again," na wetin di govnor tok.

E still get doubt about di number of students dem tok say bandits carry.

"Dis number wey dem dey tok we never get sure confirmation. We tell everi parent wey bandits carry dia pikin make dem come fill form, but up till now, na only 14 pipo don fill am," e tok.

Di govnor also say di bandits dey kidnap school children to cause wahala bicos of Donald Trump recent tok say Christian genocide dey hapun for Nigeria.

"Dis bandits just wan put us for big trouble bicos of Donald Trump tok, and na wetin don make di situation worse like dis."

E add say some schools go remain closed but dem go open some by New Year, but only for places wey dem sure say security dey okay.

For anoda side, President Bola Tinubu don declare nationwide security emergency and order full security cover for forests inside Kwara, Niger and Kebbi States sake of recent kidnapping and terrorist activities for di country.

President Tinubu also order di Nigerian Air Force make dem increase aerial patrol for deep forests wey dem believe say na dia di criminals dey hide.