All the schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri community, Agwara local government area of Niger State, have been released, following the rescue of the final batch of 130 victims, bringing the total number of freed pupils and teachers to 230.
Officials of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) confirmed the development to ARISE News Channel on Sunday evening.
The latest release ended weeks of fear and uncertainty for families and residents of the community and marked a major breakthrough for security agencies involved in the rescue operation.
LEADERSHIP recalls that the pupils were kidnapped on November 21, 2025, when gunmen stormed the boarding school in Papiri, an attack that sparked nationwide outrage and renewed concerns over the safety of schools across Nigeria.
Authorities said the successful release was achieved through sustained security pressure and coordinated efforts by relevant agencies. The development comes amid growing public calls for stronger protection of educational institutions and decisive measures to prevent a recurrence of such attacks.
St. Mary’s Catholic School is managed by the OLA Sisters and owned by the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, under the Kaduna Ecclesiastical Province.
Earlier in December, following the release of 100 victims, the Congregation Leader of the OLA Sisters, Sr. Mary T. Barron, had confirmed that some of the abducted pupils had regained their freedom, while many others remained in captivity under harsh conditions.
In a statement at the time, Sr. Barron said, “It was with great joy we welcomed the news on 14 December that 100 people had been freed: 14 secondary school students, one staff member, 80 primary school children and five nursery school children.”
She added, “However, this joy is tempered with ongoing anguish and concern for the safety of the remaining 165 — 11 staff members, 35 nursery school children and 119 primary school pupils. These children range from age five to 12 or 13.”
Credit: Leadership