The federal government has reportedly secured the release of 100 schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area, Niger State.
Bandits on November 21, 2025, attacked the school in the remote community of Papiri.
Arriving around 2:00 a.m. on motorbikes, the gunmen stormed the school dormitories over a three-hour period, abducting 315 people — 303 students and 12 teachers.
Security forces and community hunters were deployed to comb nearby forests for the abductees.
In the immediate aftermath, 50 pupils escaped within the first day and were reunited with their families.
However, 265 individuals —including 253 children and all 12 teachers — remained in captivity.
The federal government responded by imposing a 24-hour security cordon and launching aerial surveillance across parts of Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States.
President Bola Tinubu cancelled planned international travel to address the crisis.
Authorities also ordered the indefinite closure of all schools in Niger State and many federal institutions in high-risk regions.
… developing story
