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.
The children were taken on November 21, 2025, when bandits stormed the remote community around 2:00 a.m. They arrived on motorbikes and raided the school dormitories for more than three hours. By the time they left, 315 people — 303 students and 12 teachers — had been abducted.
Within the first 24 hours, 50 pupils managed to escape and were reunited with their families. But 265 people, including 253 children and the 12 teachers, remained in captivity.
Security forces and local hunters immediately launched a search operation, combing nearby forests. The Federal Government also intensified efforts by imposing a 24-hour security cordon and deploying aerial surveillance across Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi States.
President Bola Tinubu cancelled planned international trips to focus on the crisis. In the aftermath of the attack, the government ordered the indefinite closure of all schools in Niger State, along with several federal institutions in high-risk areas, pending further security assessments.
At the time of this report, details surrounding the release of the 100 schoolchildren — including whether negotiations played a role — remain unclear.
Last Monday, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, assured parents and school authorities that the remaining abducted children were safe and would return soon.
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