By Ayomide Otitoju
The Federal Government has reportedly secured the release of 100 students abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, Niger State.
The attack occurred in the early hours of November 21, 2025, when gunmen arrived on motorbikes around 2:00 a.m. and stormed the school dormitories over a three-hour period, abducting 315 people—303 students and 12 teachers. In the immediate aftermath, 50 pupils escaped and were reunited with their families, while 265 individuals, including 253 children and all 12 teachers, remained in captivity.
Security forces and community hunters were deployed to comb nearby forests for the abductees. The Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Usman, said the state had received prior intelligence on elevated security threats in parts of Niger North Senatorial District, prompting the suspension of construction activities and the temporary closure of boarding schools as precautionary measures. The state government also alleged that the school resumed operations without official clearance, a claim the school denied.
The incident drew widespread attention, including from the Catholic Church and Pope Leo XIV. In response, the Federal Government imposed a 24-hour security cordon, launched aerial surveillance across parts of Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger states, and ordered the indefinite closure of all schools in Niger State and many federal institutions in high-risk areas.
President Bola Tinubu cancelled planned international travel to oversee the response. National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu reassured parents and school authorities that the abducted children were safe and that rescue operations were ongoing. During a visit to the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and parents of the victims, 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.”
The development marks a significant step in the rescue of the remaining 215 abductees, highlighting intensified government and security efforts in the region.
