Gunmen release remaining 130 Schoolchildren and staff from Niger state Catholic school abduction; military operation credited as victims head home for Christmas
Newsroom (22/12/2025 Gaudium Press ) Nigerian authorities announced Sunday that the remaining 130 schoolchildren and staff abducted from a Catholic school in Niger state last month have been released, bringing an end to a harrowing ordeal that saw hundreds taken by armed gunmen.
The victims were part of a larger group of at least 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers seized on November 21 when gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic School in the rural Papiri community of north-central Niger state.
In the immediate aftermath, 50 children managed to escape within hours. An additional 100 schoolchildren were freed earlier this month, leaving the final group in captivity until this weekend.
Niger State police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the development in a statement, declaring that “the remaining batch of the abducted students” had been released. “A total number of 130 victims including the staff have been released,” he said.
When pressed by The Associated Press about the apparent discrepancy regarding 35 unaccounted-for schoolchildren and missing teachers, Abiodun responded that “further details will be communicated.”
Presidential spokespersons offered a more definitive account. Bayo Onanuga posted on X that the “remaining 130 schoolchildren abducted” had been freed following a “military intelligence driven operation.” He added that the released children would arrive in Minna, the Niger state capital, on Monday to reunite with their parents in time for Christmas.
Sunday Dare, another spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu, echoed the announcement on X, stating that 130 schoolchildren had been released and asserting that none remained in captivity.
No group has claimed responsibility for the November 21 attack. Local residents attributed the abduction to armed gangs known for targeting schools and travelers in mass kidnappings for ransom across Nigeria’s conflict-ravaged northern regions.
The Papiri incident was part of a recent surge in such abductions. Just four days earlier, 25 schoolchildren were seized under similar circumstances in neighboring Kebbi state. Around the same period, a church in southern Kwara state was attacked, resulting in the abduction of 38 worshippers who were later freed.
President Tinubu has faced domestic and international pressure over the persistent insecurity, including from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has claimed Christians are being deliberately targeted amid Nigeria’s broader security crisis.
Nigerian officials rarely disclose details of rescue operations, and arrests in these cases remain uncommon. Analysts suggest this opacity often stems from the payment of ransoms, though authorities consistently deny any such transactions.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now
Related Images:
