50 kidnapped Catholic school students in Nigeria escape as some schools ordered to close

Fifty of the 303 students kidnapped from a Nigerian Catholic schoolhouse connected Friday person escaped and are present reunited with their families, officials said Sunday, arsenic schools crossed Niger stay closed pursuing the attack.

The students, ages 10 to 18, escaped individually betwixt Friday and Saturday, according to the Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, president of the Christian Association of Nigeria successful Niger authorities and the school’s proprietor.

A full of 253 students and 12 teachers from St. Mary's School are inactive being held, Yohanna said, adding: "We were capable to ascertain this erstwhile we decided to interaction and sojourn immoderate parents."

Officials did not supply further details astir however the children escaped oregon wherever the remaining students and teachers were being held.

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This photograph released by the Christian Association of Nigeria shows the dormitories of St. Mary's Catholic Primary and Secondary School aft gunmen abducted children and unit successful Papiri assemblage successful Nigeria, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (Christian Association of Nigeria via AP)

Pope Leo XIV called for the contiguous merchandise of the children and schoolhouse staff, saying astatine the extremity of a wide successful St. Peter’s Square connected Sunday that helium was "deeply saddened" by the incident.

"I consciousness large sorrow, particularly for the galore girls and boys who person been abducted and for their anguished families," the pontiff said. "I marque a heartfelt entreaty for the contiguous merchandise of the hostages and impulse the competent authorities to instrumentality due and timely decisions to guarantee their release."

In this photograph released by the Christian Association of Nigeria, a antheral walks past belongings astatine the St. Mary's Catholic Primary and Secondary School aft gunmen abducted children and unit successful Papiri community, Nigeria, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (Christian Association of Nigeria via AP)

No radical has travel guardant to assertion work for the attack, The Associated Press reported. The outlet added that authorities said tactical squads and section hunters were moving to rescue the kidnapped children.

52 CATHOLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NIGERIA KIDNAPPED BY GUNMEN IN LATEST ATTACK: REPORT

Niger State rapidly unopen down each schools aft Friday’s attack, portion the Nigerian authorities besides closed respective national colleges successful conflict-prone areas crossed the region.

The onslaught astatine St. Mary’s came conscionable 4 days aft equipped men kidnapped 25 girls from a boarding schoolhouse successful Kebbi State, sidesplitting astatine slightest 1 unit member. The hunt for the missing girls is ongoing.

This photograph released by the Christian Association of Nigeria shows the dormitories of St. Mary's Catholic Primary and Secondary School aft gunmen abducted children and unit successful Papiri assemblage successful Nigeria, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (Christian Association of Nigeria via AP)

Meanwhile, 38 worshippers kidnapped during a deadly religion onslaught successful cardinal Nigeria’s Kwara State person been freed, Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said Sunday. Gunmen had attacked the Christ Apostolic Church successful Eruku municipality connected Tuesday, sidesplitting 2 and taking others hostage. President Bola Tinubu credited "the efforts of information agencies" for securing their merchandise but offered nary further details.

Nigeria has seen a bid of attacks connected Christians and their institutions, prompting President Donald Trump to state the West African federation a "country of peculiar concern." However, the Nigerian authorities has disputed the U.S.'s claims.

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"I’m truly aggravated astir it," the president told Fox News Radio connected Friday. "What’s happening successful Nigeria is simply a disgrace."

Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf and Anders Hagstrom, on with The Associated Press contributed to this report.