Nightmare at St Mary's: Abductions in Central Nigeria

Gunmen abducted over 300 children and staff from St Mary's Catholic School in Nigeria, in one of the country's worst kidnappings. Among those taken were Mathias' husband and students. Some managed to escape, but many remain missing as parents desperately search, while security forces continue their efforts.

In a harrowing event that has shocked Nigeria, gunmen stormed St Mary's Catholic School in the early hours of Friday, abducting over 300 children and staff in one of the worst school kidnappings the country has faced in a decade. Martha Mathias, a teacher at the school, described the terror as the assailants tied up her husband and terrorized her young daughter.

Despite the horrific ordeal, some captives managed to escape. Among them was 13-year-old Stephen Samuel, who fled during a moment of distraction from the gunmen. Thanks to a neighbor's help, he found his way back to safety. Meanwhile, the search for the remaining hostages continues.

The incident is part of a worrying trend of such attacks in Nigeria, with similar abductions reported in other regions during the week. The Nigerian government has pledged to intensify efforts to rescue the captives and ensure measures are in place to prevent future incidents.

(With inputs from agencies.)