The final group of 130 pupils abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger State, has been released, bringing closure to one of the largest recent school kidnapping cases in Nigeria.
The confirmation was made on Sunday, December 21, 2025, by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Communication, Sunday Dare, through a post on his official X account. He stated that no student remains in captivity following the latest release.
According to Dare, all 303 students and 12 teachers taken during the attack on the school on Friday, November 21, 2025, have now been accounted for. The newly freed pupils were taken to Minna, the Niger State capital, where they joined others who had been released in earlier phases.
In the days following the abduction, about 50 students escaped on their own. Another 100 pupils were rescued on Sunday, December 8, 2025, after what President Bola Tinubu described as sustained security operations.
The children were received at the Niger State Government House by Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, who assured parents and the public that health officials would examine the pupils before they are reunited with their families.
The attack took place in the early hours of November 21, when armed men riding motorcycles stormed the boarding school in Papiri, located in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State. Witnesses said the attackers fired shots into the air to scare residents before moving through hostels and forcing students and staff to leave with them.
A security worker at the school was seriously injured during the incident, according to the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, which owns the school.
Reacting at the time, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger State and proprietor of the school, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, said the abduction caused deep pain to families, the OLA Sisters, the Diocese of Kontagora, and the wider community.
The Niger State Government initially blamed the school authorities, saying the institution resumed academic activities without official clearance despite security concerns. The Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Usman, said the decision exposed pupils and staff to avoidable danger.
However, the school principal, Felicia Gyam, rejected the claim, stating that there was no prior warning or government notice about any security threat before the reopening.
Following the abduction, President Tinubu cancelled his planned trip to the G20 Summit in South Africa and asked Vice President Kashim Shettima to represent Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Ogun State and Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Dapo Abiodun, welcomed the release of the remaining pupils. He described it as a victory over criminal elements and praised the efforts of the Federal Government and security agencies.
Abiodun said the release showed the government’s determination to tackle insecurity and urged security agencies to ensure those responsible for the abduction are brought to justice.
The November 21, 2025, attack remains one of the most significant mass school kidnappings in Nigeria’s recent history. With all the victims now freed, affected families are set to celebrate the festive season after weeks of fear and uncertainty.