The Federal Government has successfully secured the release of 100 schoolchildren who were among 315 people abducted by armed bandits from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
The mass abduction occurred on November 21, 2025, when heavily armed bandits invaded the remote Papiri community around 2:00 a.m., arriving on motorbikes and launching a sustained assault on the school dormitories that lasted over three hours.
By the time the assailants withdrew, they had seized 303 students and 12 teachers, marking one of the largest school kidnapping incidents in recent Nigerian history.
Within the first 24 hours following the attack, 50 pupils managed to escape from their captors and were reunited with their families. However, 265 individuals—253 children and all 12 teachers—remained in the bandits’ custody, prompting an intensive government response.
Security forces, working alongside local hunters with intimate knowledge of the terrain, were immediately deployed to search surrounding forests where the victims were believed to be held.
The Federal Government escalated the rescue operation by imposing a 24-hour security cordon across the affected region and launching comprehensive aerial surveillance operations spanning Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi States.
The severity of the crisis prompted President Bola Tinubu to cancel scheduled international engagements in order to personally oversee the government’s response to the mass abduction.
In response to the attack and mounting security concerns, authorities ordered the indefinite closure of all schools throughout Niger State, along with several federal educational institutions located in high-risk areas, pending completion of comprehensive security assessments.
As of the time of publication, specific details surrounding the release of the 100 schoolchildren remain unclear, including whether the rescue resulted from military operations, negotiations with the abductors, or other means.
However, sources confirmed to Channels TV that the rescued pupils are currently undergoing medical evaluation to assess their physical and psychological condition following their ordeal in captivity.
The sources indicated that the children will be reunited with their anxious families after security agencies complete debriefing sessions to gather intelligence about their captors and the conditions of their detention.
The release of 100 victims represents a significant breakthrough in the crisis, though 165 individuals—153 children and 12 teachers—reportedly remain in the custody of the armed bandits.
The mass abduction at St. Mary’s School triggered widespread outrage across Nigeria and internationally, with religious organizations, civil society groups, and foreign governments calling on Nigerian authorities to secure the immediate and unconditional release of all captives.
The incident also drew sharp criticism from the United States Congress, where lawmakers recently held hearings specifically addressing violence and mass abductions targeting Nigerian schoolchildren, particularly in Christian communities.
The Papiri abduction occurred in a region of Niger State that has become increasingly vulnerable to bandit attacks, with criminal groups exploiting vast, ungoverned forest areas that straddle multiple state boundaries.
Security analysts have long warned that inadequate military presence in these remote areas, combined with porous borders and limited intelligence capabilities, creates favorable conditions for mass kidnapping operations.
The attack on St. Mary’s School echoes similar incidents across northern Nigeria, including the 2014 abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State and the 2021 kidnapping of over 300 students from Government Science Secondary School in Kankara, Katsina State.
While some previous mass abductions have been attributed to terrorist organizations like Boko Haram, recent incidents increasingly involve criminal bandit groups motivated primarily by ransom demands rather than ideological objectives.
Nigeria’s newly appointed Defence Minister, General Christopher Musa, has taken a hardline position against ransom payments, arguing during his recent Senate screening that such practices only strengthen criminal networks and encourage further abductions.
However, desperate families and communities often face agonizing choices when government rescue efforts prove slow or unsuccessful, sometimes resorting to negotiations and payments to secure the release of loved ones.
As relief spreads over the release of 100 children, anxiety remains acute for the families of those still in captivity, who continue to appeal for urgent action to bring their children and the teachers home safely.
The Federal Government has not issued an official statement detailing the circumstances of the release or providing a timeline for securing the freedom of the remaining captives.
