The Federal Government has secured the release of 100 schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger State. Rescue efforts intensify as authorities work to free the remaining captives
FG Secures Release of 100 Niger Schoolchildren Abducted by Bandits in Papiri Attack
The Federal Government has secured the release of 100 schoolchildren abducted by armed bandits from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
The relief comes more than a week after the attackers stormed the remote Papiri community on 21 November 2025, arriving on motorbikes around 2:00 a.m. and operating for nearly three hours. During the attack, 315 individuals—303 students and 12 teachers—were forcefully taken into the forest.
Security forces, joined by community hunters, immediately began combing surrounding bushes in a large-scale search-and-rescue mission. Within the first 24 hours, 50 pupils escaped and were reunited with their families, leaving 265 people—including 253 children and all 12 teachers—still in captivity.
In a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Abubakar Usman, Niger State authorities condemned the attack and revealed that they had previously received credible intelligence about heightened security threats in parts of Niger North. In response, the government suspended all construction activities and shut down boarding schools in the vulnerable areas as a precaution.
The government further alleged that St. Mary’s School had resumed academic activities without notifying authorities or obtaining the required clearance—an accusation the school leadership firmly denied.
The mass abduction sparked national and international outrage, with even Pope Leo XIV expressing concern over the fate of the children.
The Tinubu administration swiftly responded by imposing a 24-hour security cordon and deploying aerial surveillance missions across Niger, Kebbi, and Kwara States. President Bola Tinubu also cancelled scheduled international travel to oversee the national security response.
Federal authorities subsequently ordered the indefinite closure of all schools in Niger State and several federal institutions in high-risk regions.
Last Monday, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu reassured parents and officials of St. Mary’s that the abducted children were safe and would soon return home.
Ribadu, who visited St. Michael’s Catholic Cathedral, Kontagora, conveyed President Tinubu’s message of hope, saying efforts to rescue the remaining captives were progressing rapidly.
“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 after meeting with the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, and distressed parents.
Efforts to rescue the remaining abductees are ongoing, with heightened military presence and continued intelligence operations across the affected regions. Read More
