The Federal Government has confirmed the release of 130 schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwarra Local Government Area of Niger State.
Presidential spokesperson, Sunday Dare, announced the development on Sunday via his official X (formerly Twitter) account, assuring that no child remains in captivity.
“Another 130 abducted Niger State pupils released. None left behind,” Dare wrote, sharing photographs of the freed children.
The pupils were among those kidnapped in a large-scale attack on the Catholic school in the early hours of November 21, when heavily armed gunmen stormed the premises. Witnesses said the assailants arrived on more than 60 motorcycles, supported by a van, and shot the school’s gatekeeper, leaving him critically injured.
Initial reports indicated that over 300 pupils, teachers and staff members were taken during the raid, though the exact figure has remained disputed. While the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) earlier put the number of abducted persons at 315, state authorities gave varying estimates.
Following the attack, the Niger State Government said it had earlier ordered the temporary closure of boarding schools in vulnerable areas and suspended construction activities as a preventive measure—an assertion disputed by school authorities.
The Papiri abduction came amid a surge in mass kidnappings across the country. Less than a week earlier, more than 20 girls were abducted from the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State. CAN later disclosed that about 50 abductees from recent attacks managed to escape.
In response to the Niger incident, the Federal Government imposed a 24-hour security cordon across parts of Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states, launched aerial surveillance operations, and ordered the indefinite closure of schools in high-risk areas. President Bola Tinubu also cancelled a planned international trip to oversee security efforts.
Earlier, on December 7, the government announced the release of 100 of the abducted children, who were formally handed over to the Niger State Government by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). Governor Umaru Bago received the pupils at the Government House in Minna on December 8.
The abductions have continued to draw international concern over Nigeria’s worsening security situation, following similar incidents in Kwara and Borno states. The crisis has also attracted global attention, with the United States placing Nigeria on its list of Countries of Particular Concern over security and human rights issues.
Authorities say security operations remain ongoing to prevent further attacks and dismantle kidnapping networks across the affected regions.