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

The children were among 315 people—303 students and 12 teachers—seized when armed bandits stormed the remote school on November 21, 2025. The attackers, riding motorbikes, invaded the school around 2:00 a.m., moving dormitory to dormitory for nearly three hours before herding their captives into surrounding forests.

While 50 pupils escaped within the first 24 hours, at least 265 victims—including 253 children and all 12 teachers—remained in captivity, prompting a national security emergency.

In response, the Federal Government imposed a 24-hour security cordon around affected border communities and deployed ground troops alongside aerial surveillance across parts of Niger, Kebbi, and Kwara States.

President Bola Tinubu reportedly cancelled scheduled international engagements to personally oversee rescue operations. Authorities also ordered the immediate shutdown of all schools in Niger State and several federal institutions in high-risk areas.