By Ayomide Otitoju
Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, has received the remaining abducted students and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of the state, following their successful rescue.
The victims were formally handed over to the governor on Monday by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, who was represented by Major General Adamu Laka. Speaking at the handover, Laka said security agencies had worked tirelessly since the abduction to secure the safe release of the children and school staff.
He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting the rights and safety of Nigerian children, stressing that security agencies remain resolute in implementing measures to safeguard lives and property across the country.
Governor Bago, who was visibly emotional during the reception, expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu and the NSA for their swift intervention and decisive actions, which he said were instrumental to the successful rescue operation.
The Presidency had on Sunday announced the release of the remaining 130 abducted pupils from the school. “Another 130 abducted Niger State pupils released, none left in captivity,” presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare said in a post on X.
Gunmen had stormed the Catholic primary and secondary school in the early hours of November 21, abducting over 300 pupils, teachers and staff. The attackers reportedly arrived in large numbers on motorcycles and in a van, during which the school’s gatekeeper was shot and seriously injured.
In response, the Federal Government imposed a 24-hour security cordon around the affected areas and launched aerial surveillance across parts of Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states. President Tinubu also cancelled a planned international trip to personally oversee the response to the crisis, while authorities ordered the indefinite closure of schools in Niger State and other high-risk areas.
On December 7, the Federal Government secured the release of the first batch of 100 abducted pupils, who were earlier received by Governor Bago at the Government House in Minna.
