100 Niger State Students Freed, Tinubu Orders Rescue of Others

Aremu Toyeebaht December 9, 2025 2 minutes read

100 schoolchildren abducted from St Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara LGA, Niger, were safely reunited with their families on Monday, after nearly three weeks in captivity.

The students, aged five to 10, were among 315 pupils and teachers kidnapped on November 21, 2025, in one of the region’s latest mass abductions. Earlier, 50 children had escaped on their own, while 115 students and 12 teachers remain in captivity.

The freed children were welcomed at a ceremony at the Niger State Government House by emotional parents, dignitaries, and security personnel. As they marched into the hall at 5:30 pm, their arrival was met with applause and cheers.

Freed Niger State schoolchildren march into Government House, welcomed by parents and officials after weeks in captivity.

Rev. Bulus Yohanna, proprietor of the schools and Niger State CAN chairman, confirmed the abductions, saying a total of 227 students and 12 teachers were taken.

Receiving the children, Governor Mohammed Bago promised the safe rescue of those still held:
“We want to thank Mr President for giving us the necessary inputs to rescue these children…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.”

Schoolchildren freed from abduction in Niger State are reunited with parents and officials at Government House.

Governor Bago assured parents that the rescued children would undergo medical checks before being returned home, in collaboration with the Christian Association of Nigeria.

President Bola Tinubu welcomed the release and immediately directed security agencies to secure the freedom of the remaining abducted pupils and teachers. In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, he said:
“I rejoice with Governor Umar Bago and commend our security agencies for their steadfast work. 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.”

The President added that the Federal Government would work with state authorities to reunite children with families and strengthen school security 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.”