The governor of Niger State, Umaru Bago, on Monday received the 100 pupils of St. Mary’s Catholic private primary and secondary school, Papiri who regained their freedom on Sunday after being held for two weeks.
The children, transported in multiple buses under heavy security, arrived at the Government House in Minna at about 5:20 p.m., where they were greeted by the governor, senior government officials, and their families.
The pupils were abducted from their school in Papiri, located in Munya LGA of Niger State, on November 21.
On Sunday, the federal government confirmed the release of the schoolchildren, two weeks after their abduction.
The bandits, who stormed the school around 2 a.m. on November 21 on motorbikes, initially kidnapped 315 individuals — 303 students and 12 teachers — in an operation that lasted three hours.
Within the first day, 50 pupils managed to escape, leaving 265 people, including all 12 teachers, in captivity until the latest breakthrough.
The rescue effort followed intensified military operations, aerial surveillance across Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi states, as well as the involvement of community hunters searching the forests.
However, 153 students and the 12 teachers are still being held by the bandits.
Before the release of the 100 pupils, Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), reassured the public that the abducted children were in stable condition and would soon be reunited with their families.
“Mr. President is in pain; he is in sorrow just like all of us. He stopped everything he was doing; he was supposed to travel but he suspended his journey,” Ribadu said.
“Enough is enough. We will not be relentless in our efforts. We are all under attack. Let us not allow bad people to divide us; let us not allow evil to get into us.
“Many good people from all over the world are coming to support us, including the United States of America.
“We appreciate everyone, especially European countries like France, the United Kingdom and a couple of others. The whole world is coming together to stop and defeat this evil which has been going on in Nigeria for two decades.”