Abuja (Nigeria), November 22 (LaPresse) – The number of people kidnapped by armed men during an attack on St. Mary's School, a Catholic school in Niger State, central-northern Nigeria, has risen to 315, including 303 students and 12 teachers. This was declared by the Christian Association of Nigeria, updating the previous count of 215 students. The updated figure was given "after a verification exercise and a final census," said Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, president of the Niger State branch of the association, who visited the school on Friday. Another 88 students, he added, "were captured after trying to escape" during the attack. The students were both male and female, ranging in age from 10 to 18. The kidnapping in the remote community of Papiri, in Niger State, occurred four days after 25 students were abducted under similar circumstances in the nearby town of Maga, in Kebbi State, 170 kilometers away. No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnappings, and authorities have stated that tactical teams along with local hunters have been deployed to free the children. Yohanna dismissed the state government's claim that the school had reopened for classes despite a prior order to temporarily close schools in that part of Niger State due to security threats. "We did not receive any circular. It must be a belated reflection and an attempt to shift the blame," he said, urging families "to remain calm and pray."
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