The remaining 130 students abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger State, have been released, bringing a definitive end to one of Nigeria’s largest recent mass kidnappings.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Communication, Mr. Sunday Dare, confirmed the development in a post on his official X handle on Sunday evening. “Another 130 abducted Niger State pupils released. None left in captivity,” he wrote, confirming that all 303 students and 12 teachers seized during the November 21 attack are now free.
The released children arrived in Minna, the Niger State capital, on Sunday, joining earlier batches who had been freed in phases over the past month. The students were received at the Niger State Government House in a ceremony attended by Governor Mohammed Bago, who assured that health workers would examine them before they are reunited with their families.
The abduction occurred in the early hours of November 21, 2025, when armed men on motorcycles stormed the boarding school in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area. Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers fired shots into the air before rounding up students and staff from dormitories.
Following the incident, approximately 50 students managed to escape on their own. Subsequently, security agencies secured the release of 100 students on December 8, which President Bola Tinubu attributed to “sustained security operations.”
The incident had drawn widespread condemnation and prompted high-level responses. President Tinubu canceled his attendance at the G20 Summit in South Africa, directing Vice President Kashim Shettima to represent him instead.
In the aftermath, the Niger State Government and the school administration offered conflicting accounts regarding security warnings. The state government, through the Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Usman, stated the school had reopened “without notifying or seeking clearance from the State Government, thereby exposing pupils and staff to avoidable risk.” The school’s principal, Felicia Gyam, disputed this, insisting there was no prior warning or government circular about a specific threat.
The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger State and school proprietor, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, said the kidnapping caused “immense anguish” for families, the OLA Sisters worldwide, the Diocese of Kontagora, and the local community.
Reacting to the final release, Ogun State Governor and Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Dapo Abiodun, hailed it as a “victory over the forces of darkness.” He praised President Tinubu’s security measures and commended the security agencies, urging them to ensure the perpetrators are prosecuted.
“The President is committed to a safe, secure, and prosperous Nigeria, and the security agencies deserve plaudits for this feat,” Abiodun stated.
With the release of the final batch, families can celebrate the holiday season reunited with their children after weeks of profound uncertainty and fear.