A wave of relief and jubilation swept through Niger State on Monday as 100 school children abducted from St Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, returned safely to their families after nearly three weeks in captivity.
President Bola Tinubu, welcoming the return of the 100 students, immediately renewed efforts to secure the release of the remaining 115 pupils and their teachers, directing security agencies to intensify operations and ensure the safe return of all victims.
St Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri was invaded on November 21, 2025, with the Christian Association of Nigeria claiming 303 students were abducted.By November 23, 50 of the schoolchildren escaped captivity and were reunited with their families.
The proprietor of the schools and Niger State CAN chairman, Rev Bulus Yohanna, confirmed that a total of 227 students, including 12 teachers, were abducted during the attack. With the return of 100 students, 115 students and 12 students remained in captivity.
The 100 rescued children, aged between five and 10, were welcomed by emotional parents, dignitaries, and security personnel in a heartwarming ceremony at the Niger State Government House.
The crowd had earlier besieged the Government House, patiently awaiting the arrival of the 100 freed abducted school children after the announcement of their freedom on Sunday evening.
At exactly 5.30 pm, the children, 100 of them, marched in a single file into the hall to a resounding applause and shout.
Looking visibly malnourished and famished, they could not hide their joy as they felt freedom at last.
The 100 freed students were among 315 pupils, students, and teachers abducted from the schools on November 21, 2025.
A representative of the National Security Adviser, Abdullahi Hong, handed the children over to the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago.
In an emotion-laden speech, Bago promised that the rest of the abducted students would also be rescued soon.
“We want to thank Mr President for giving us the necessary inputs to rescue these children. We want to thank the NSA and every person who has been responsible for the recovery of these children.
“We want to thank development partners here, UNICEF and others, also, we thank you all. And for those who have been praying, continue to pray.
“We wish to recover the other students who are still in captivity. And by the grace of God, in a very short time from now, we are going to recover them Insha Allah,” he said.
He assured parents and guardians of the rescued students that they would be safely handed over to them soon.
“We have called on medical health workers to look at them. They will be checked properly before taking them back to their parents.
“We are working closely with the Christian Association of Nigeria to make sure that they are safely returned home.
“Let me thank everybody here for staying this late just to receive these children. It is important that we all stay here to receive them.
“I am emotionally broken down because I saw their sizes, their ages, you know, but it’s not for today, thank you, and God bless,” Bago said.
Welcoming the news of the release of the students, President Tinubu directed security agencies to secure the immediate freedom of the remaining 115 pupils and their teachers still in captivity.
“I rejoice with Governor Umar Bago and commend our security agencies for their steadfast work,” the President said in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
“My directive remains that all the students and other abducted Nigerians must be rescued and brought back home safely. We must account for all the victims,” he added.
Tinubu said the Federal Government was working with the Niger State Government to reunite the children with their families and strengthen security at schools nationwide.
“From now on, our security agencies, working with the governors, must prevent future kidnappings. Our children should no longer be sitting ducks for heartless terrorists,” he added.
Mass school abductions have plagued Nigeria since Boko Haram seized 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State, in April 2014, triggering a copycat industry of kidnappings for ransom.
Niger State has suffered repeated hits, including the February 2021 Kagara abduction of students and staff, while recent weeks have seen coordinated raids on schools and worship centres in Kebbi and Kwara states.
In his declaration of a security emergency on November 26, Tinubu ordered a surge of operations to protect schools, farms and places of worship, insisting service chiefs coordinate closely with state governments.
Earlier on Sunday, the Niger CAN had said it was not aware of the release of 100 of the abducted Agwara students.
The state chairman and proprietor of St Mary Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, Bishop Bulus Yohanna, said in a statement by his media aide, Daniel Atori.
Yohanna, who is also the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora, said, “It will be a thing of joy if some of our children have been released. We have been praying and waiting for their return. If it is true, then it is cheering news.”
The release followed a three-day fasting and prayer organised by CAN in Niger State.
The spiritual exercise began on Friday across the 25 LGAs and was concluded on Sunday in 1st ECWA Church in Minna.
Christians drawn from various denominations converged to pray for the release of 265 children and teachers, stressing that the pupils were being kept for too long.
Yohanna, in his sermon, charged the people, irrespective of their religion, tribes or political affiliation, to join the prayers to end insecurity in the state.
Represented by the Deputy Chairman, Rev Ezekiel Ibrahim, the CAN chairman urged all to come together to pray for divine intervention, so as to defeat the common enemy.
