Federal Government Secures Release of 100 Abducted Niger Schoolchildren

100 Pupils Freed After Large-Scale Abduction in Niger State

The Federal Government has reportedly secured the release of 100 schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.

The children were among the 315 individuals—303 students and 12 teachers—kidnapped when armed bandits attacked the remote school community on 21 November 2025.

Bandits Storm School at Night, Abduct Hundreds

The attackers, riding motorcycles, invaded the school at about 2:00 a.m., operating for nearly three hours as they took students and teachers from the dormitories into surrounding forests.

Security forces and community hunters were immediately deployed to track the abductors, while families anxiously awaited news of their children’s fate.

Within the first 24 hours, 50 pupils managed to escape and were reunited with their families. However, 265 individuals—including 253 children and all 12 teachers—remained in captivity.

Government Imposes Security Cordon, Tinubu Cancels Foreign Trip

In response, the Federal Government established a 24-hour security cordon around the affected zone and launched aerial surveillance spanning parts of Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi States.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu cancelled scheduled international engagements to focus on the crisis. Authorities also ordered the indefinite closure of schools across Niger State and other vulnerable regions.

NSA Ribadu Earlier Assured Families of Safe Return

Last Monday, National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu visited the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and parents of abducted children at St. Michael’s Catholic Cathedral, Kontagora. He delivered a message of hope from President Tinubu, assuring families that the pupils were safe and would return soon.

“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 during the visit.

He also confirmed that rescue efforts had intensified and that security forces remained fully mobilized around the affected areas.