100 Catholic schoolchildren abducted in Niger state regain freedom

Niger state map

The federal government has secured the release of 100 schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara LGA of Niger state, two weeks after their abduction.

Security sources confirmed to TheCable, on Sunday, that the schoolchildren have been released and are safe.

TheCable understands that details of the release will be made public by the government on Monday.

The gunmen, who invaded the school on November 21 at about 2:00 a.m. on motorbikes, initially took away 315 persons — 303 students and 12 teachers — in an operation that lasted three hours.

Subsequently, 50 pupils escaped within the first 24 hours, 265 abductees, including all 12 teachers, remained in captivity until the latest development.

The rescue followed intensified military operations, aerial surveillance across Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states, and the deployment of community hunters in the forests.

President Bola Tinubu had cancelled scheduled foreign trips to personally oversee the response, which also triggered the indefinite closure of schools in Niger state and several federal institutions in high-risk areas.

Meanwhile, Daniel Atori, the media aide to Bulus Yohanna, chairman of CAN in Niger state, told TheCable that the school is not privy to the release of the 100 pupils.

“The school hasn’t been contacted. The bishop, who is the proprietor of the school, hasn’t been contacted. The parents of the abducted children haven’t heard of it. It’s not confirmed, and we don’t know about it yet,” he said.

“It will be a thing of joy if some of our children have been released. We have been praying and waiting for their return, if it is true then it is a cheering news.