Nigerian authorities announced the successful rescue of students and staff kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school in Papiri village, Niger State, central Nigeria, having freed the remaining 130 individuals, leaving no students still in captivity.
The Nigerian federal government confirmed the freedom of the final 130 students and staff kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school in Papiri, Niger State, calling it a "moment of victory and relief" following one of the country’s worst mass kidnappings.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga shared photos of smiling, waving children, confirming a total of 230 rescued students. The recently freed group is expected to arrive in Minna, the capital of Niger State, today (22 Dec).
Despite the positive announcement, the details behind the release remain unclear. Authorities have not disclosed how the government negotiated the release or whether ransom was paid. Previously, Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule stated the success resulted from undisclosed federal government efforts due to security reasons.
Looking back to the traumatic event on 21 November, over 250 students and staff were abducted from St. Mary’s School. The Christian Association of Nigeria reported about 50 students escaped during the incident, and earlier in December, approximately 100 students had been released.
This incident is part of a rising wave of attacks on schools and religious sites in northern and central Nigeria. Just days before the St. Mary’s kidnapping, abductions occurred at a church in Kwara State and an all-girls secondary school in Kebbi State, with all hostages in those cases freed earlier.
Although the government has yet to identify the kidnappers, analysts believe criminal gangs demanding ransom are responsible.
On 9 December, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu pledged that the government would collaborate with states to improve school security and create a safe learning environment nationwide to prevent such tragedies from recurring.
,BBC