The remaining 130 students and teachers abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri have been handed over to the Niger State government, marking a rare full recovery in one of Nigeria’s largest school kidnappings.
The handover caps a month-long ordeal that began on November 21, 2025, when armed bandits stormed the boarding school in Papiri, Aguara Local Government Area.
It would be recalled that bandits abducted over 200 pupils – many as young as three – and staff in a pre-dawn raid making it one of the largest wave of school abductions in northern Nigeria.
Two weeks ago, an initial batch of 100 victims was freed, leaving families of those who were not released in anguish.
Speaking to journalists after the ceremony, Bago emphasized the joy of reunion. “We are hopeful these people will reunite with their families immediately so they can celebrate Christmas together,” he said.
The children arrived at the Government House around 3:35 p.m. in six buses under heavy security, including armored vehicles. The Governor said that the children will undergo medical checks before reuniting with their families.
Bago, however, refused to confirm if ransom was paid, calling such questions unfair. “The most important thing is getting these people back unharmed. How we did it, we know,” he stated firmly.
The governor lambasted parents for enrolling toddlers in boarding facilities, deeming it irresponsible. “Taking a two- or three-year-old to boarding is unacceptable. We’ll review this practice across schools and end underage boarding,” he warned, highlighting the trauma on young captives.
Bago hailed the operation as unprecedented. “It’s never happened like this in Nigeria—to get everybody back unhurt,” he said, thanking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Army, and others for their roles.
NSA representative Adamu Garba Laka, Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Center, credited coordinated efforts under Tinubu’s directive.
“This rescue involved the DSS, Armed Forces, Police, and international partners,” Laka said during the handover.
He reaffirmed commitment to national security, vowing short-term protections in high-risk areas and community-based solutions to safeguard education.
Tight security barred the children and teachers from speaking to media. No parents attended, despite news of the release circulating since Sunday. School proprietor Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, CAN Chairman, was absent but he was represented by the state vice chairman.
