Two Weeks After Niger School Abduction…No Contact From Abductors, Students’ Whereabouts Unknown – Parents, School

Two weeks after the students, pupils and members of staff of St Mary Catholic School, Papiri, in Agwara local government area of Niger State were abducted, the parents and officials of the school say they have not been contacted by the abductors.

LEADERSHIP Sunday reported that abductors suspected to be bandits attacked the school on 21 November this year and abducted 315 of the children and staff, but 50 of the children were able to escape a few days after their abduction.

The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, the owner of the school, confirmed to journalists after going through their records that 265 of the students, pupils and members of staff were still with the bandits.
The Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Most Reverend Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, in the latest update obtained by LEADERSHIP Sunday yesterday, stated that the school and parents have not been contacted by the abductors.

He, however, said they remained hopeful owing to the assurance given by the federal government delegation led by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, who visited the diocese last week and gave assurance that the children were safe and would be rescued soon.

One of the parents, Dimas Joseph Mauhuta, whose son, Julius Dimas (JSS 2), was among those abducted, said he had not been contacted, adding that he and other parents were looking forward to the actualisation of the assurance given by the National Security Adviser.

“The government should act and come to our aid. We are relying on the assurance of the National Security Adviser; the assurance has given us hope,” he said.

The head teacher of the school, Rev Sister Blessing Amodu, said, “All I am pleading for at this moment is for the government and all concerned, and everyone that is touched by our situation, to please help us to look for ways on how to rescue these children and the staff and return them back to us. That is all I am pleading for, nothing more than that.”

When asked whether there was any contact or trace of the abductors, the Niger State Command’s police public relations officer (PPRO), Wasiu Abiodun, told LEADERSHIP Sunday yesterday that the command would make further updates public in due course, as efforts are still in progress.

Kebbi Schools Still Closed

Kebbi State schools, which were shut due to the wave of kidnappings, have remained closed.
Checks by our reporter show that both public and private schools in the state remain closed, with their managements awaiting the pronouncement of their reopening date.

Some of the schools visited by our correspondent included Unity Government Girls’ College, Birnin Kebbi; Nagari College, Birnin Kebbi; Emir Haruna Rashid College, Birnin Kebbi; Dr Amina Girls’ Secondary School, Birnin Kebbi; Abdullahi Fodio Secondary School, Birnin Kebbi; and Hajiya Kubura Day Secondary School, Birnin Kebbi.

The permanent secretary, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mohammed Bala Zuru, said the ministry was still waiting for the government to announce the resumption date.
According to him, an unconfirmed report indicated that the schools will reopen in January next year so that students will write their first-term examinations and subsequently resume academic activities.

Bauchi to Reopen Schools Next Year

Bauchi State Government has said that it is considering the possibility of reopening schools after this year’s Christmas holidays as it continues to review the prevailing security situation.
LEADERSHIP Sunday reports that Bauchi had about 11 days ago directed the immediate closure of all schools across the state, including tertiary institutions, following the growing spate of mass kidnapping of students and pupils in the country.

Commissioner for Education in Bauchi State, Dr Lawal Rimin-Zayam, said schools may reopen next year with first-term examinations scheduled to take place immediately.

The commissioner explained that only about two weeks remain before the current term closes from the time that schools were closed.

He said the state government will take advantage of the closure window to embark on mass renovation of schools, ensuring a more conducive learning environment when students resume.

Dr Rimin-Zayam noted that the ongoing plans align with the Safe Schools Initiative, stressing that schools in the state have already been fenced as part of strengthened security measures.

He also encouraged students to stay academically active during the holiday by enrolling on the Nigeria e-learning platform, similar to the virtual learning approach adopted during the COVID-19 lockdown period.

The commissioner hinted that students will continue the academic year without necessarily observing the end-of-term break to make up for the period missed during the school closure.

Kwara Beefs Up Security in Schools, Varsity Relocates Staff, Students

Meanwhile, in compliance with the directive of the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja, the management of the Federal Government College (FGC) Ilorin had on 21 November 2025 directed the students of the college to proceed on vacation.

The directive was contained in an official notice issued by the principal of the school, Dr Agbo Paul Geoffrey.

Dr Geoffrey informed parents and guardians that the Federal Ministry of Education’s decision to close the schools affected FGC Ilorin and 46 other Federal Unity Colleges across the country.

Similarly, the management of Kwara State University, Malete, on Wednesday directed its staff and students in the Ilesha-Baruba Campus in Kwara North to relocate to the main campus in Malete.

In a statement signed by the acting director, University Public Relations, Dr Saeedat Aliyu, the management, however, assured the public that “the movement of staff and students of the Ilesha-Baruba Campus to the Malete campus is a precautionary security measure as the year winds down.

“The 13th convocation ceremony of the University commences on 9 December and runs through the week. The KWASU Ilesha-Baruba community will be a part of the week-long ceremony, after which the entire student body of the University is expected to proceed on the mid-semester break ahead of resumption in January,” he added.

Meanwhile, the state government said it had activated proactive security measures in schools as part of efforts to guarantee a safer environment for schoolchildren.

The commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr Lawal Olohungbebe, said the measures immediately affect schools in Ifelodun, Ekiti, Irepodun, Isin, and Oke Ero local government areas — all in Kwara South.

He said the arrangements underscored the government’s determination to curtail the activities of kidnappers who might want to use schoolchildren as human shields from renewed security crackdowns.

“The measures also cover the boarding schools in Irepodun, which could be targets of the criminals who are running for cover amidst widening security operations.

“The measure may remain in place while awaiting further security clearance for normal activities to resume,” he added.