Nigeria’s government has secured the release of 100 schoolchildren abducted last month in Niger state, local media reported, marking a partial breakthrough in one of the country’s worst mass school kidnappings in recent years.
The children were among those taken on Nov. 21 when gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school in Papiri, a hamlet in Niger state. The Christian Association of Nigeria said at the time that 303 children and 12 school staff were seized in the raid. About 50 pupils managed to escape within hours, but there had been no word on the others until the latest release. Some of the abducted children were as young as 6, the association said.
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Channels Television first reported the release of 100 schoolchildren but did not immediately provide details on how they were freed, their condition or where the handover took place. Authorities have yet to disclose who carried out the abduction or whether any concessions were made to secure the children’s freedom.
Based on figures provided by church leaders, the development still leaves more than 150 children unaccounted for, along with school staff taken in the attack. Officials have not offered updated numbers or clarified whether any adults were among those released.
The mass abduction in Papiri underscored the persistent threat of school kidnappings in parts of Nigeria, where armed groups have targeted students for ransom and leverage, drawing condemnation from parents’ groups, faith leaders and civil society. The raid on St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school intensified pressure on authorities to safeguard campuses and crack down on criminal networks behind such attacks.
Niger state, in Nigeria’s north-central region, has experienced an uptick in violent raids on rural communities and schools, separate from the Islamist insurgency centered in the northeast. Papiri’s remoteness and the size of the boarding school made the November assault especially devastating for families, who have waited weeks for news of their children.
As of the latest reports, officials had not outlined the next steps for reuniting the released children with their families or for supporting them medically and psychologically after captivity. The government and security agencies are expected to provide further information as details become available.
Local and national leaders have repeatedly vowed to improve security around schools and to hold perpetrators accountable. With more than 150 children still missing by the church’s count, families and faith leaders continue to press for a full accounting and the safe return of every child and staff member taken from St. Mary’s.
This is a developing story. Additional updates will be published as authorities release more information about the operation, the condition of the freed students and efforts to locate those still missing.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
