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Nigerian authorities say they have secured the release of 130 schoolchildren kidnapped from St Mary’s Co-educational Boarding School in Papiri, Niger State, in November, presidential spokesman Sunday Dare confirmed on Sunday.
This follows the earlier release of about 100 students and staff earlier this month, according to Al Jazeera.
“Another 130 Abducted Niger State Pupils Released, None Left In Captivity,” Dare posted on X.
The attack in late November, which targeted hundreds of students and staff, occurred amid a wave of mass abductions reminiscent of the 2014 Boko Haram kidnapping of schoolgirls in Chibok. Nigeria continues to face multiple security challenges, from armed groups in the northeast to bandit gangs in the northwest.
The exact number of children taken from St Mary’s had been unclear. Initially, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) reported that 315 students and staff were unaccounted for. About 50 escaped immediately after the attack, and roughly 100 were freed on December 7, leaving approximately 165 believed to be in captivity before Sunday’s announcement.
Read more; Nigeria claims 100 abducted schoolchildren freed in yet-to-be disclosed rescue operation
“The remaining set of girls/secondary school students will be taken to Minna, the state capital, on Monday. We’ll have to still do final verification,” said Daniel Atori, a CAN spokesman in Niger State.
Authorities have not disclosed the identities of the kidnappers or the details of how the release was secured. Kidnappings for ransom remain a common tactic among criminals and armed groups in Nigeria, and November saw a particularly intense wave, with multiple incidents targeting schoolgirls, churchgoers, and local communities.
The spate of abductions has drawn international attention to Nigeria’s security situation. U.S. President Donald Trumphas alleged mass killings of Christians in the country, describing them as “genocide,” though Nigeria’s government and independent analysts reject this characterization.
A decade after the Chibok kidnappings, Nigeria’s kidnap-for-ransom crisis has evolved into a structured, profit-seeking enterprise, reportedly generating around $1.66 million between July 2024 and June 2025, according to SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based consultancy.
The successful release of the Niger State pupils offers relief to families and communities, though challenges remain in addressing the broader security and ransom-driven abduction landscape across the country.
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