All students abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic Private Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, have now been released.
The final group of 115 students regained their freedom on Sunday, bringing the total number of rescued children to about 265 and ending a traumatic ordeal that lasted nearly a month.
The abduction occurred in the early hours of November 21, 2025, when gunmen stormed the school and kidnapped 303 students along with 12 teachers, making it one of the largest mass school abductions in Nigeria in recent years.
In the aftermath of the attack, 50 students managed to escape on their own, while another 100 were released on December 8 following coordinated security operations.
The release of the remaining students has brought immense relief to families and the wider community which had been described by security agencies as a major breakthrough in ongoing efforts to combat mass kidnappings.
