Set to Reunite with Families
By Ajewole Joshua|ABNews| December 22, 2025
ABUJA, Nigeria — In a significant breakthrough ahead of the Christmas holiday, 130 schoolchildren and staff abducted last month from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in the Papiri community of Niger State have been freed, authorities confirmed on Sunday. The freed pupils are expected to arrive in Minna, the state capital, on Monday to reunite with anxious parents and guardians.
The release brings the total number of rescued or escaped children to 230, following one of the largest school kidnappings in recent years. Earlier this month, 100 pupils were released after several weeks in captivity, and around 50 students escaped in the immediate aftermath of the November 21 attack.
On the early morning of November 21, 2025, armed gunmen riding motorcycles stormed the boarding school in Papiri, a rural community in the Agwara Local Government Area. Security sources reported the attackers forced their way into student dormitories before whisking away children and staff into nearby forests.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), which provided early tallies of the victims, said that over 300 students and several staff members were taken during the raid — making it one of the most severe abductions in the region’s recent history.
The initial chaos saw pupils aged as young as 10 caught in the violence. Some managed to flee during the attack and make their way back to their families. Others remained with their captors, held in difficult conditions deep in remote forest areas.
Officials, including spokespeople for President Bola Tinubu, attributed the final release to a coordinated military-intelligence operation that intensified efforts to locate and secure the hostages’ freedom. Presidential aides stressed that no abductees remain in captivity following this operation.
Niger State police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun confirmed that the group of 130 released on Sunday included both students and some teaching staff. Details about how the operation unfolded or whether negotiations were conducted behind the scenes have not been fully disclosed by authorities.
Scenes of relief are expected as the freed children reach Minna on Monday, where state officials, family members, and community leaders will welcome them home. Preparations are underway to ensure they receive medical checks, psychosocial support, and reintegration assistance following their traumatic ordeal.
Local community figures and church leaders have praised security forces while calling for ongoing support to strengthen protection for schools across Nigeria, especially in regions vulnerable to militant and banditry violence.
Nigeria has grappled with waves of mass school kidnappings in recent years, from the Chibok girls abduction in 2014 to multiple incidents this year alone. Armed criminal gangs — often referred to locally as “bandits” — regularly target educational institutions in northern and central states, exploiting vast forested terrain and gaps in local security coverage
Human rights and community organizations have repeatedly urged the federal and state governments to adopt comprehensive preventive measures, including enhanced early warning systems, better school security infrastructure, and more robust engagement with local communities to deter future attacks.
