Abducted Catholic Schoolchildren In Nigeria Escape Captivity

Fifty schoolchildren abducted from a Catholic school in north-central Nigeria escaped captivity and returned to their families, school authorities announced Sunday.

The students, aged 10 to 18, fled individually between Friday and Saturday after gunmen seized 303 people from St. Mary's School in Niger state's remote Papiri community, according to The Associated Press. A total of 253 students and 12 teachers remain in captivity, according to Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger state and the school's proprietor.