The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora has confirmed that 303 students are now missing following the attack on St Mary Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
This update, released on Saturday morning, shows a significant increase from the initial 215 missing students earlier announced.
According to Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, the Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, many parents who rushed to evacuate their children after the attack reported that they could not find them on the school grounds.
Housing TV Africa had earlier reported that terrorists invaded the school in the early hours of Friday, kidnapping students and teachers.
The bishop further disclosed that four female teachers and eight male teachers were also abducted during the raid.
He explained that the school has 430 pupils in the primary section and 199 students in the secondary section, adding that at no time did they receive any warning or directive from the government or security agencies about a possible threat.
He dismissed the claim by the Secretary to the State Government that the school had been issued a circular regarding safety before the incident.
According to an aide to the bishop, Daniel Atori, neither the Education Secretary nor the National Association of Private Schools received any such circular.
