BREAKING: Government Secures Release Of 100 Schoolchildren Abducted From Niger

The Federal Government has reportedly secured the release of 100 schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara local government area of Niger State.

The development was reported on Channels Television during its ‘Sunday Politics’ Programme on Sunday night, though official statements were yet to be issued by federal or State authorities as of press time.

The students were taken when bandits attacked the school in the early hours of November 21, 2025. The assailants, who arrived on motorbikes at about 2:00 a.m., reportedly overran the school dormitories during a coordinated raid that lasted nearly three hours.

In all, 315 persons, 303 students and 12 teachers, were abducted during the attack.

Security personnel, alongside local vigilantes and hunters, were immediately deployed to neighbouring forests to track the kidnappers. Within 24 hours, 50 pupils managed to escape from captivity and were reunited with their families.

In response, the Federal Government imposed a 24-hour security cordon around the area and deployed aerial surveillance across parts of Niger, Kwara and Kebbi States. President Bola Tinubu also cancelled planned international trips to personally oversee efforts aimed at securing the victims’ release.

Authorities subsequently ordered the indefinite closure of all schools in Niger State and several federal educational institutions located in high-risk areas.

Details Later…