• Parents of 315 abducted Niger State St. Mary’s pupils stage protest over alleged government inaction
• Over 265 students, teachers still missing despite ongoing rescue operations
• Families begin official documentation to support security agencies’ search efforts
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No fewer than 200 parents of the 315 students kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, have taken to the streets in protest, decrying what they describe as slow government response since the November 21 attack.
The protesting parents, according to SaharaReporters, converged on the school premises on Sunday to officially register their names and those of their missing children as part of a documentation process initiated to aid security agencies in their rescue efforts.
Although more than 50 students had earlier escaped from captivity, the majority of the pupils and several teachers remain in the hands of the armed men who stormed the school nine days ago.
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Following the attack, Governor Mohammed Bago ordered the temporary shutdown of all boarding schools across the state. Security forces have since launched search-and-rescue operations, though families say they have received little reassurance.
The Diocese of Minna, which manages the school, recently released a verified list showing that 265 victims are still being held—comprising 239 nursery and primary school pupils, 14 secondary school students, and 12 members of staff.
During Sunday’s protest, anxious parents gathered for hours at the school compound, submitting details requested by authorities to help track the location of the abductees.
The incident comes at a time of heightened insecurity nationwide, prompting President Bola Tinubu to declare a security emergency.
The President has directed the police and military to accelerate recruitment and urged the National Assembly to fast-track legislative work on the establishment of state police.
