Abuja: At least 50 of the 303 schoolchildren abducted from a Catholic school in Niger state, north-central Nigeria, have escaped captivity and rejoined their families, the school authority said Sunday, offering some relief to worried families following one of the largest school kidnappings in Nigeria's history.

The children, aged 10 to 18, fled separately between Friday and Saturday, confirmed Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger state and proprietor of the school. He added that 253 students, along with 12 teachers, remain held by the kidnappers.

“We were able to ascertain this when we decided to contact and visit some parents,” Yohanna said.

The abduction happened during a gunman's attack on St. Mary's School in the remote Papiri community on Friday. No group has claimed responsibility yet, and tactical squads, alongside local hunters, are actively working on rescue operations.

Yohanna said the escape figures were verified after contacting and visiting parents. The students who escaped have not returned to the school; instead, they have regrouped with their families.

“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,” Yohanna said.

Four days prior, 25 schoolchildren were abducted in similar circumstances in Kebbi state, also in northern Nigeria, where gang kidnappings for ransom have become a means for armed groups to exert dominance over remote areas lacking security presence.

The Niger state government has closed all schools indefinitely following the attack, and federal colleges in conflict-affected areas across the region have also been shut down as a precaution.

St. Mary's school compound includes more than 50 classrooms and dormitories and is located near a major road linking Yelwa and Mokwa towns.

With inputs from AP