All pupils abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Private Primary and Secondary School in the Papiri community, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, have regained their freedom.
The last group of 115 students was released on Sunday, bringing the total number of freed children to about 265 and ending a traumatic ordeal that lasted nearly one month.
The students were kidnapped in the early hours of November 21, 2025, when armed assailants stormed the boarding school, abducting 303 students and 12 teachers in what ranked among the largest mass school abductions in recent Nigerian history.
In the days following the attack, 50 students reportedly escaped on their own, while another 100 were released on December 8 after intensified security operations.
The release of the remaining 115 students has brought immense relief to their families and communities, with security agencies describing the development as a major success in the ongoing efforts to tackle kidnapping and insecurity in the region.
