I Feel Your Pain, Bago Tells Parents Of Abducted Schoolchildren

Niger State governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, says he feels the pain of the parents of children abducted from St. Mary Catholic School, Papiri, Agwara local government area.

He spoke at the eight-day executive retreat for commissioners-designate, chairmen-elect, special advisers and permanent secretaries with the theme, “Whole Governance, a Collaborative Effort for Development: The Road a New Niger, which “was held yesterday at the Government House, Minna.
The governor said the state government was working hard to ensure the safe rescue of the children.
A total of 265 children and staff members of the school are still held by the gunmen suspected to be bandits who attacked the school on November 21, 2025.

They wounded the security guards before matching the victims into the forest.

Bago, who was represented at the retreat by the deputy governor, Yakubu Garba, said. “Before we go deep into the sessions ahead, I must speak from the heart on a matter that concerns us all. The unfortunate abduction of schoolchildren and teachers at St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri in Agwara local government area. This is highly condemnable and has left our state deeply worried.

“As the chief security officer of the state and a parent myself, I feel the pain of every mother and father anxiously waiting for their children to return home. Let me use this opportunity to assure you all that we are committed to the safety of the children and ensuring the security of life and property in the state,” Bago said.

He reminded the parents and other residents of the state that the government was working relentlessly to secure the release of the abducted children of St. Mary Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, Agwara LGA.

While charging the upcoming cabinet and new LG chairmen as well as the permanents to work in unity to deliver the ‘New Niger’ vision of his administration, the governor urged them to provide clear leadership as the state pushes to position itself as a leading agro-industrial hub, contributing significantly to food security and sovereignty in Nigeria.

He emphasised innovation, bold policy implementation and disciplined governance as key expectations, saying that the retreat would reinforce leadership capacity, strategic planning, fiscal discipline, people-centred service delivery and performance evaluation.

Earlier, the secretary to the state government (SSG), Alhaji Abubakar Usman, said the retreat was designed to strengthen collaboration and build a unified sense of purpose among top government officials as the administration advances its “New Niger Agenda”.