FG secures release of 100 kidnapped schoolchildren in Niger

The Federal Government has reportedly secured the release of 100 schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area, Niger State.

Bandits attacked the school on November 21, 2025, in the remote community of Papiri.

The gunmen, arriving around 2 am on motorbikes, reportedly stormed the school dormitories over a three-hour period, abducting 315 people—303 students and 12 teachers.

Security forces and community hunters were deployed to comb nearby forests for the abductees.

In the immediate aftermath, 50 pupils escaped within the first day and were reunited with their families. However, 265 individuals—including 253 children and all 12 teachers—remained in captivity.