BREAKING: FG Secures Release Of 100 Schoolchildren Abducted In Niger State

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

The school came under attack by bandits on 21 November 2025, when gunmen on motorbikes stormed the dormitories around 2:00 a.m., holding the campus for three hours. A total of 315 people—303 students and 12 teachers—were abducted during the raid.

In the aftermath, 50 pupils managed to escape on the first day and were quickly reunited with their families, while 265 individuals, including 253 students and all 12 teachers, remained in captivity.

Security forces, alongside community hunters, were deployed to comb nearby forests for the abducted students and staff. The Federal Government also imposed a 24-hour security cordon and launched aerial surveillance across parts of Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States.

President Bola Tinubu cancelled planned international engagements to oversee the response, and authorities ordered the indefinite closure of all schools in Niger State, along with several federal institutions in high-risk regions.