Parent of Abducted School Children in Niger State Dies of Heart Attack – CAN
- A parent of three abducted schoolchildren in Niger state has died of a heart attack, deepening the community’s grief
- Rev. John Hayab said families remained traumatised and fearful of speaking about the abductions
- The tragedy depicted the lasting emotional toll of school kidnappings in Nigeria amid recent attacks
A parent whose children were abducted from school has died of a heart attack, according to Rev. John Hayab, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, northern region and FCT.
Hayab told Arise News that Mr Anthony passed away following the abduction of his three children. He explained that the trauma and pain of the incident remained fresh among families affected.
Source: UGC
Insecurity: Parents fear speaking out
During the interview, Hayab said:
“Mr Anthony died of a Heart-attack following the abduction of his 3 children. People don’t understand that when you tell it as it is, you’re not speaking against anybody, you are only trying to state the problem. The pains, the trauma, are still very fresh. We tried speaking to the parents today, and they were scared of speaking to us.”
See the video below:
Ongoing trauma in community
The incident highlighted the continuing emotional toll on families whose children had been abducted.
Hayab stressed that many parents were still too afraid to speak publicly about their experiences, showing the depth of fear and trauma within the community.
This development had drawn attention to the wider impact of school abductions in Nigeria, where families continued to suffer both emotionally and physically in the aftermath.
Niger schoolchildren abduction
The mass abduction of schoolchildren in Niger state has become one of Nigeria’s most alarming security crises.
On November 21, 2025, armed men stormed St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwarra local government area of Niger state.
Reports confirmed that 315 people were taken, including 303 children and 12 teachers, in what was described as one of the largest school kidnappings in Nigeria’s history.
In the days following the abduction, 50 children managed to escape captivity, reuniting with their families, while more than 250 students and teachers remained in the hands of their captors.
This incident was not isolated. It came just days after gunmen abducted 25 girls from a secondary school in Kebbi State, depicting a growing trend of mass kidnappings targeting schools across northern Nigeria.
The Niger state abduction drew national and international attention, reflecting the scale of insecurity and the urgent need for stronger protection of schools and children.
Source: Twitter
50 abducted Niger pupils escape
Legit.ng earlier reported that armed men attacked St. Mary’s Secondary and Primary School, Papiri, in Agwara local government area of Niger state in the early hours of Friday.
Reports said the attackers shot a security guard before abducting more than 200 pupils and students, along with 13 teaching and non-teaching staff.
The chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger state, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who is also the proprietor of the school, confirmed in his first update that 215 students and 12 staff members were taken.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
