The last group of students and staff kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri community have been freed, bringing an end to a month-long ordeal that gripped Niger State.
The 130 remaining abductees were released in recent days, according to the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, who announced the development on Monday.
The kidnapping occurred in the early hours of 21 November 2025, when armed assailants stormed the school’s boarding facility in Agwara Local Government Area, located in the Borgu Emirate of the state. The attackers initially took an undisclosed number of pupils, teachers, and staff from the school.
The victims’ release came in stages over the past month. Approximately 50 pupils managed to escape from captivity shortly after the abduction. On 7 December the kidnappers released a group of 100 individuals. The final batch of 130 abductees gained their freedom just days ago and are now being reunited with their families.
Abdullahi, who holds the traditional title of Baraden Borgu, credited President Bola Tinubu with providing ‘exceptional leadership’ in securing the victims’ release. He also praised the National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu for his coordination efforts and Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago for his ‘tireless efforts’ in resolving the crisis.
‘The harrowing weeks of anxiety, uncertainty, and grief have come to a happy ending’, Abdullahi said in a statement on Monday.
The minister, who described the incident as ‘a most touching experience with personal linkages’, noted that the Papiri community is part of the Borgu Kingdom and that many affected families had sought help from prominent citizens of the state.
As the freed abductees recover from their ordeal, authorities are calling for continued vigilance and cooperation with security forces to prevent similar incidents in the future.
