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The Nigerian government says it has rescued around 100 children who were abducted from a Catholic boarding school in Niger State last month and has vowed to secure the release of more than 150 others still being held.
The children arrived at Government House in Minna on Monday in a convoy of white buses escorted by military vans and armoured vehicles, according to reports by Al Jazeera.
The freed students, aged between 10 and 17, stepped out wearing football jerseys, robes, and slippers, and were greeted by state officials who embraced them and posed for photos.
They were among the 303 students kidnapped from St Mary’s Catholic School in the Papri community on November 21, along with 12 teachers.
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About 50 students managed to escape shortly after the abduction.
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, said the rescued children would soon be “safely delivered” to their families in Papiri.
He added that medical teams and specialists would conduct thorough evaluations before the reunions.
“To those who have been praying, please continue to pray. We hope to recover the remaining students who are still in captivity,” Bago told security and government officials gathered in Minna.
President Bola Tinubu praised security forces for their “steadfast work” in securing the children’s return, reiterating his directive that all abducted Nigerians must be safely rescued.
“We must account for all the victims,” he said.
While a spokesman for the president reported that 115 students and the 12 teachers remain unaccounted for, several news agencies placed the number still held at 165.
Authorities did not disclose details of the rescue operation, and it remains unclear whether any ransom—common in such mass abductions—was paid.
UNICEF official, Theresa Pamma, noted that the freed children will require significant support, including mental health care, after spending more than two weeks in captivity.
The government said efforts to secure the release of the remaining children and teachers were ongoing.
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