The Federal Government has reportedly secured the release of 100 schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
Bandits had, on November 21, 2025, invaded the remote Papiri community around 2:00 a.m., arriving on motorbikes and attacking the school dormitories for over three hours. By the time they retreated, 315 people, 303 students and 12 teachers, had been taken away.
In the first 24 hours after the abduction, 50 pupils managed to escape and were reunited with their families. However, 265 individuals, 253 children and all 12 teacher, remained in captivity.
Security agents, alongside local hunters, were immediately deployed to comb surrounding forests in search of the missing victims.
The Federal Government intensified the operation by imposing a 24-hour security cordon and launching aerial surveillance across Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi States.
President Bola Tinubu also cancelled scheduled international engagements to address the crisis.
In the wake of the attack, the government ordered the indefinite closure of all schools in Niger State, along with several federal institutions in high-risk areas, pending further security assessments.
As of the time of filing this report, details surrounding the release of the 100 schoolchildren, including whether negotiations were involved, remain unclear.
The National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President, Nuhu Ribadu, last Monday, reassured parents and authorities of school, that the abducted pupils are doing fine and will return soon.
