The Federal Government has secured the release of 100 of the 315 schoolchildren and staff abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
The victims were kidnapped when armed men, arriving on motorbikes around 2:00 a.m., invaded the school dormitories and operated for nearly three hours. In total, 303 students and 12 teachers were taken away.
Rescue Efforts Begin
Following the attack, security operatives—including military personnel and community hunters—launched a massive search through surrounding forests. Within the first 24 hours, 50 pupils managed to escape and were reunited with their families.
Despite the early escape, 265 people (253 children and all 12 teachers) remained in captivity in the days that followed.
To help expedite rescue efforts, the Federal Government imposed a 24-hour security cordon around affected areas and deployed aerial surveillance across parts of Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States. President Bola Tinubu also cancelled a scheduled international trip to personally oversee the crisis response.
In addition, authorities ordered the indefinite closure of all schools in Niger State and several federal institutions in other high-risk regions.
Government Reassurance
Last Monday, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, reassured parents and school authorities that the abducted children would return safely. He conveyed President Tinubu’s message of hope and emphasized that rescue operations were progressing steadily.
Speaking during a visit to the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and Proprietor of the school, Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, and parents of the abducted pupils at St. Michael’s Catholic Cathedral, Kontagora, Ribadu said:
“God is with them and God is with us. Evil will never win. They are going to come back. I give you that assurance.”
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