Nigerian authorities have secured the release of 130 schoolchildren kidnapped from a Catholic school in Niger State last month. This follows the earlier freeing of 100 pupils, with officials stating no captives remain. The incident highlights ongoing security challenges in the region.
In late November 2025, gunmen abducted pupils and staff from St. Mary’s co-educational boarding school in the rural hamlet of Papiri, Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) reported 315 students and staff were taken, though exact figures have been disputed. Around 50 escaped immediately after the attack.
On December 7, the government secured the release of approximately 100 captives. A statement from President Bola Tinubu at that time indicated 115 people remained in captivity. Presidential spokesman Sunday Dare announced on December 21 that another 130 pupils had been freed, posting on X: “Another 130 abducted Niger state pupils released, none left in captivity.”
A UN source confirmed that the remaining girls and secondary school students would be taken to Minna, the capital of Niger State, on Tuesday. The school attack occurred amid a wave of mass abductions in Nigeria, reminiscent of the 2014 Boko Haram kidnapping of nearly 300 girls in Chibok. Recent incidents in November included the seizure of two dozen Muslim schoolgirls, 38 church worshippers, and a bride with her bridesmaids.
Nigeria faces intertwined security threats, including jihadist groups in the northeast and armed bandit gangs in the northwest. Kidnappings for ransom have become a structured industry, generating $1.66 million between July 2024 and June 2025, according to SBM Intelligence. Details on the perpetrators or the method of release—potentially involving ransom, though prohibited by law—have not been disclosed.
