The Federal Government has successfully secured the release of 100 schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, located in the Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
On November 21, 2025, armed bandits attacked the school in the remote community of Papiri. Arriving around 2:00 a.m. on motorbikes, the gunmen stormed the school dormitories over a three-hour period, abducting a total of 315 individuals—303 students and 12 teachers.
In response to the attack, security forces and community hunters were deployed to comb the nearby forests in search of the abductees. In the immediate aftermath, 50 pupils managed to escape within the first day and were reunited with their families. However, 265 individuals—including 253 children and all 12 teachers—remained in captivity.
In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Abubakar Usman, the state government condemned the attack and revealed that it had received credible intelligence indicating heightened security threats across parts of the Niger North Senatorial District. As a precautionary measure, the government directed the suspension of all construction activities and the temporary closure of boarding schools in the affected areas.
The government also disclosed that the school had allegedly reopened and resumed academic activities without notifying or obtaining clearance from the authorities, a claim that the school administration denied.
The incident drew reactions from prominent figures, including Pope Leo XIV. In response, the Federal Government imposed a 24-hour security cordon and initiated aerial surveillance across parts of Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States. President Bola Tinubu even canceled planned international travel to address the crisis directly. Additionally, authorities ordered the indefinite closure of all schools in Niger State and many federal institutions located in high-risk regions.
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