iDeemlawfulThe remaining 115 pupils of St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, who were in captivity, have now regained their freedom.
Their release comes about a month after armed bandits abducted them during a midnight attack on the school, where a total of 315 students and teachers were taken away.
News Region had earlier reported, roughly two weeks ago, that 100 of the abducted children had been freed and reunited with their families.
While there has been no formal announcement confirming the development, it was gathered that the students were released on Friday evening in a remote forest area located between Agwara and Borgu local government areas of the state.
According to The Sun, security personnel from the Office of the National Security Adviser have been deployed to evacuate the children under tight security arrangements.
The Sun further reported that a source familiar with the development said the release followed intense negotiations between government officials and the kidnappers.
As of the time of filing this report, it remains unclear whether any ransom was paid.
The freed students were among the 315 individuals abducted on November 21, 2025, when gunmen invaded the isolated school community at about 2:00 a.m. and operated for nearly three hours without resistance.
During the attack, 303 students and 12 teachers were taken, triggering an extensive security operation.
Within 24 hours of the incident, 50 students managed to escape and returned to their families, leaving 265 captives, made up of 253 students and all 12 teachers.
In response to the abduction, the Federal Government imposed a 24-hour security lockdown in the area and commenced expansive aerial surveillance across parts of Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states.
President Bola Tinubu also suspended a planned international trip in order to personally supervise the rescue efforts.