JUST IN : FG confirms release of 100 students abducted from Niger Catholic school

The Federal Government says it has secured the freedom of 100 students abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.

The attack occurred on November 21, 2025, when armed bandits invaded the remote community on motorbikes around 2:00 a.m. Over the course of roughly three hours, they seized 315 individuals, including 303 students and 12 teachers.

Security operatives and local hunters were immediately mobilised to track the kidnappers across surrounding forested areas. Within the first 24 hours, 50 children managed to escape and were reunited with their families. Despite that early development, 265 people—253 pupils and all 12 teachers—remained in captivity.

In response, the Federal Government imposed a 24-hour security lockdown in the region and expanded aerial surveillance across Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi States. President Bola Tinubu also cancelled an international trip to focus on the unfolding situation. Authorities further ordered the closure of all schools in Niger State and directed federal institutions in high-risk zones to shut down temporarily.

Last Monday, National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu met with parents, school officials, and the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, where he assured families that the abducted students “are doing fine and will return soon.

He conveyed the President’s message of hope, noting that intensified military and security deployments were already yielding progress.

“God is with them and God is with us. Evil will never win. They are going to come back. I give you that assurance,” Ribadu told parents at St. Michael’s Catholic Cathedral in Kontagora.