By John Adams, Minna
Tragedy struck again in Niger State on Wednesday as two parents of abducted students from St. Mary Catholic Missionary School, Papiri, Agwara LGA, collapsed and died of heart attacks amid the ongoing crisis over the kidnapping.
The deaths come just a week after gunmen raided the school at midnight, abducting 303 students and 12 staff members. While 50 students escaped at a riverbank during a ferrying attempt and have been reunited with their families, 253 students and 12 staff remain in the hands of the bandits, with no updates on their rescue.
The Chairman of CAN and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, who is also the proprietor of the school, confirmed the deaths in a statement released by his media aide, Dan Atori.
One of the deceased parents was identified as Anthony Musa, while details of the second parent remain unknown.
“Anthony Musa died of a heart attack, but we don’t have details about the female parent yet because we couldn’t reach the family,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, tension persisted between the state government and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger chapter, over the handling of the abduction. Parents have expressed anger and frustration, demanding updates on the rescue of their children. The government has accused the school authorities of withholding information, while CAN insists that all available details have been provided.
The community continued to grapple with grief, fear, and uncertainty as the search for the remaining abducted students and staff goes on.