MINNA: The Federal Government has secured the release of 100 schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
Bandits had attacked the school in the early hours of November 21, 2025, storming the dormitories on motorcycles around 2:00 a.m. during a three-hour operation and abducting 315 persons — 303 students and 12 teachers.
In the immediate aftermath of the attack, 50 pupils managed to escape within the first day and were reunited with their families. However, 265 individuals, comprising 253 students and all 12 teachers, were initially held in captivity.
Security forces, working alongside local vigilantes and community hunters, were deployed to comb surrounding forests in search of the abductees.
In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar
Usman, the Niger State Government condemned the attack and revealed that it had earlier received intelligence reports indicating heightened security threats across parts of the Niger North Senatorial District.
The state government said it had directed the temporary closure of boarding schools and suspension of construction activities in vulnerable areas as a precautionary measure.
It also alleged that the Papiri school reopened and resumed activities without clearance, a claim denied by the school authorities.
The abduction drew widespread condemnation, including reactions from the Vatican, with Pope Leo XIV expressing concern over the safety of the children.
In response, the Federal Government imposed a 24-hour security cordon in the area and launched aerial surveillance across parts of Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states.
President Bola Tinubu also cancelled planned international engagements to personally oversee efforts to address the situation.
Authorities further ordered the indefinite closure of schools in Niger State and several federal institutions located in high-risk zones.
Last week, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, reassured parents, school authorities and the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora that the abducted pupils were safe and would soon be reunited with their families.
Speaking during a visit to St. Michael’s Catholic Cathedral in Kontagora, Ribadu conveyed President Tinubu’s message of hope, noting that rescue operations had intensified alongside increased security deployment in the affected areas.
God is with them, and God is with us. Evil will never win. They are going to come back. I give you that assurance, Ribadu said.
While the authorities are yet to officially confirm details of the latest release, the development has raised renewed hope among families and communities affected by the attack.
