130 remaining Niger state schoolchildren regain freedom
No fewer than 130 students abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, have been released.
The children were reportedly freed on Friday in an area between Agwara and Borgu LGAs.
The abduction occurred on November 21, when armed men stormed the school on motorcycles and whisked away 315 people comprising 303 students and 12 teachers during an operation that reportedly lasted about three hours.
Within 24 hours of the attack, 50 students managed to escape, leaving 265 victims, including all 12 teachers, in captivity. On December 7, the federal government facilitated the release of 100 students.
Security sources attributed the latest rescue to intensified military operations, including aerial surveillance across Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states, as well as the deployment of local hunters to comb forested areas.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier suspended planned foreign engagements to personally coordinate the rescue efforts. The incident also led to the indefinite closure of schools in Niger State and several federal institutions located in high-risk areas.
