Relief as all abducted Niger Schoolchildren regain freedom

All the schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Private Primary and Secondary School in Papiri community, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, have been released.

The last group of 115 students regained their freedom on Sunday, bringing the total number of rescued children to about 265 and bringing to an end a painful ordeal that lasted for about one month.

The students were taken away in the early hours of November 21, 2025, when armed gunmen invaded the boarding school.

During the attack, a total of 303 students and 12 teachers were abducted, making it one of the biggest mass kidnappings recorded in Nigeria in recent times.

The release of all the children has been greeted with relief by parents, school authorities and residents of the community, many of whom had lived in fear and uncertainty since the incident occurred

In the aftermath, Very Nigerian reports 50 students escaped on their own shortly after the incident, while another 100 were released on December 8 following sustained security operations.

The release of the remaining 115 students has brought relief to families and is being hailed as a major breakthrough by security agencies involved in the rescue efforts.

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