Nigerian authorities have announced the successful release of 130 more schoolchildren who were abducted from a Catholic boarding school in Niger state last November. This development, confirmed by a presidential spokesman on Sunday, December 21, 2025, marks the end of the immediate captivity for all students taken in the attack.
Final Group Freed After Weeks in Captivity
Presidential aide Sunday Dare made the announcement via a post on the social media platform X, stating clearly, “Another 130 abducted Niger state pupils released, none left in captivity.” This latest release follows the earlier freeing of approximately 100 students on December 7. The children were taken in a late November raid on St Mary’s co-educational boarding school, located in the rural community of Papiri in north-central Niger state.
The exact figures surrounding the abduction have been contested. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) maintained that 315 students and staff were initially seized. While around 50 managed to escape soon after the attack, the December 7 release of 100 left a significant number still unaccounted for. A statement from President Bola Tinubu had previously indicated 115 remained, while other estimates suggested about 165. The release of this final group of 130 brings closure to the agonizing wait for families.
A Grim Pattern in Nigeria's Security Landscape
The Papiri school attack was part of a disturbing wave of mass abductions that hit Nigeria in November, casting a harsh light on the country's persistent security challenges. That month saw criminals kidnap two dozen Muslim schoolgirls, 38 church worshippers, and even a bride with her bridesmaids. This pattern of kidnappings for ransom has evolved into a lucrative criminal industry across the nation's northwest and north-central regions, distinct from the jihadist insurgency in the northeast.
Analysts note that while the government has not disclosed details of the rescue operation, past precedents strongly suggest ransom payments were likely involved, despite such transactions being technically illegal. A recent report by Lagos-based consultancy SBM Intelligence highlighted the scale of the crisis, estimating that kidnap-for-ransom generated roughly $1.66 million between July 2024 and June 2025, calling it a "structured, profit-seeking industry."
International Echoes and Lasting Trauma
The mass abduction inevitably drew comparisons to one of Nigeria's darkest chapters: the 2014 kidnapping of nearly 300 schoolgirls from Chibok by Boko Haram jihadists. The Papiri incident revived those painful memories and occurred amid heightened international scrutiny. The crisis unfolded as the United States, under President Donald Trump, alleged mass killings of Christians in Nigeria and threatened military intervention—a framing firmly rejected by the Nigerian government and independent analysts.
With the students now free, the focus shifts to their recovery and reintegration. A United Nations source indicated that the released students would be taken to Minna, the Niger state capital, for care and eventual reunion with their families. While this particular ordeal is over, the underlying security issues that enabled it remain a profound challenge for Africa's most populous nation.
