By Stephen Ojo
Minna
A wave of grief has swept through the Christian community in Niger State following the confirmation that 227 students and staff were abducted from a Catholic school in Agwara Local Government Area on Thursday.
The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, described the incident as “a heartbreaking wound to the Church and the entire state” as he confirmed the figures after visiting the traumatised community.
“Our records show that 215 pupils and students, along with 12 teachers, were taken by the abductors,” he said in a statement signed by his Media Aide, Dan Atori.
According to the CAN Chairman, the Church is deeply shaken by the scale of the attack. He had just returned from the school where he met anxious parents and community leaders, assuring them that CAN is working closely with government and security agencies to reunite the victims with their families.
He revealed that a few students were able to escape during the attack, but the overwhelming shock has forced the school to shut down as parents rushed in to retrieve their children.
“This is a moment of pain for the Church. A moment of prayer. A moment we must stand together,” Rev. Yohanna said.
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