KEY POINTS
• The final 115 pupils abducted from St Mary’s school in Niger State were released on Sunday, ending a month-long ordeal.
• The November 21 attack saw 303 students and 12 teachers seized, making it one of Nigeria’s largest school kidnappings.
• Earlier escapes and phased releases brought the total number of freed children to about 265, easing fears among families.
The last group of schoolchildren abducted from St Mary’s Catholic Private Primary and Secondary School in Niger State have regained their freedom, bringing to a close one of the most distressing mass abductions of students in recent Nigerian history.
A total of 115 pupils were released on Sunday, officials confirmed, ending a month-long ordeal that gripped families in the Papiri community of Agwara Local Government Area and drew nationwide attention. With their release, the number of children rescued from captivity now stands at about 265.
The abduction took place in the early hours of November 21, when armed men stormed the boarding school, overwhelming security and rounding up students from their dormitories. In the chaos of the attack, 303 students and 12 teachers were taken away into the surrounding forests, triggering frantic appeals from parents and renewed scrutiny of school safety in rural parts of the country.
In the days that followed, some of the children managed to escape on their own. About 50 students reportedly fled their captors shortly after the attack, finding their way back to nearby communities. Their accounts painted a grim picture of life in captivity and heightened pressure on security agencies to act swiftly.
A drawn-out rescue effort tests families and security forces
Security operations intensified in early December, combining negotiations, intelligence gathering and coordinated patrols across known hideouts. On December 8, another 100 students were freed, raising cautious hope that the remaining children would soon follow.
That hope was realised over the weekend, when the final batch of 115 pupils was released. Their return has been met with visible relief among parents, many of whom had spent weeks in anguish, shuttling between security briefings and prayer vigils. Community leaders described the development as an emotional turning point after weeks of fear and uncertainty.
Security agencies involved in the operation have hailed the outcome as a major breakthrough, noting that the scale of the abduction posed significant logistical and operational challenges. While details of how the final release was secured remain sketchy, officials say efforts were sustained until all the children were accounted for.
The incident has reignited debate over the vulnerability of boarding schools in isolated areas and the growing sophistication of armed groups targeting educational institutions. For families in Papiri, however, the focus now is on healing and helping the children recover from the trauma of their captivity.
