Another mass abduction in Nigeria: 50 students escape; 253 children still missing

Fifty Nigerian schoolchildren who were abducted last week from a Catholic school in Niger state have escaped from captivity and returned home, according to school authorities. The remaining 253 children and 12 teachers are still missing in one of the country's largest mass abductions.

The escapees, aged between 10 and 18, returned individually between Friday and Saturday, Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger state and proprietor of the school, told the media in a statement Sunday.

The students had been taken during a Friday raid on St. Mary's School in the rural Papiri community, where heavily armed gunmen stormed the premises and seized students and staff members.

"We were able to ascertain this when we decided to contact and visit some parents," Yohanna said, according to CBS News. "As much as we receive the return of these 50 children that escaped with some sigh of relief, I urge you all to continue in your prayers for the rescue and safe return of the remaining victims."

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