The Federal Government has confirmed the release of 130 schoolchildren abducted by gunmen from St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger State.
The announcement was made on Sunday by presidential spokesman Sunday Dare via his official X account.
“Another 130 abducted Niger state pupils released, none left in captivity,” Dare wrote, sharing a photo showing smiling children alongside a woman.
The development follows the mass abduction that occurred in the early hours of November 21, when gunmen stormed the Catholic school and kidnapped more than 300 pupils, teachers, and staff members.
According to sources, the attackers arrived in large numbers on over 60 motorcycles, accompanied by a van, and shot the school’s gatekeeper, leaving him seriously injured.
While condemning the incident, the Niger State Government said it had earlier ordered the suspension of construction activities and the temporary closure of all boarding schools in the affected area as a precautionary step—an assertion the school authorities disputed.
The Papiri attack marked the latest in a string of school abductions across the country and occurred less than a week after bandits kidnapped over 20 girls from the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) in Maga, Kebbi State.
Days later, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) revealed that 50 children had escaped from captivity. However, the exact number of those initially taken remained uncertain, as CAN earlier put the figure at 315.
In response, the Federal Government imposed a 24-hour security cordon and launched aerial surveillance across parts of Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States. President Bola Tinubu also cancelled planned international travel to personally oversee efforts to address the crisis.
Authorities subsequently ordered the indefinite closure of all schools in Niger State, alongside several federal institutions located in high-risk areas.
Earlier, on December 7, the Federal Government announced it had secured the release of 100 of the abducted children. Governor Umaru Bago received them at the Niger State Government House, where they arrived at about 5:20 pm on December 8, 2025. The pupils were formally handed over by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
The wave of abductions triggered widespread global condemnation over Nigeria’s worsening security situation, with reported kidnappings in states such as Kwara—where 38 worshippers were abducted—and Borno.
The incidents also drew international attention, particularly from the United States, where President Donald Trump threatened to deploy US forces into Nigeria with “guns-a-blazing” if the country failed to halt what he described as the killing of Christians by Islamists “committing these horrible atrocities.” The warning came a day after he designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern.”