One hundred students abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, have been released after more than two weeks in captivity and handed over to the Niger State government on Monday.
The children, looking visibly weak, were brought to Government House in Minna around 5:15 p.m. under heavy security. They were accompanied by a representative of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Wing Commander Abdullahi Hong, who said the rescue was achieved through a coordinated operation involving the Army, DSS and the Police. He declined to say whether any ransom was paid.
Hong added that over 100 students and staff of the school were still being held by the armed group.
Governor Mohammed Bago, who received the freed students, expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, NSA Nuhu Ribadu, and the security agencies for their intervention. He said the children would undergo medical checks before being reunited with their families, and called for prayers for the immediate release of the remaining captives.
A total of 315 people, including teachers, were abducted in the early hours of November 21. About 50 victims escaped within hours while being marched toward the forest. Last week, Ribadu visited Kontagora, reassuring residents that the abductees were alive and would soon be freed.
Journalists were barred from interviewing the rescued students.
Reacting to the development, President Tinubu welcomed the release of the 100 students and directed security agencies to intensify efforts toward freeing the remaining 115 students and teachers still in captivity.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President said all abducted Nigerians must be accounted for and safely returned.
Tinubu noted that the Federal Government is working with Niger State to reunite the children with their families and to strengthen security around schools nationwide. He added that future attacks on schools must be prevented, stressing that Monday’s release was the result of sustained collaboration between federal and state authorities.
