Final batch of Niger state schoolchildren released after November mass abduction

More than a month after one of Nigeria’s largest school abductions this year, authorities on Sunday announced the release of the remaining students and staff seized by gunmen from a Catholic school in Niger State, bringing the ordeal closer to an end, though some questions remain unanswered.

Gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic School in the Papiri community of north-central Niger State on November 21 , abducting at least 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers . In the chaotic hours following the attack, 50 students managed to escape, while 100 schoolchildren were freed earlier this month, leaving scores still in captivity.

Niger State police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun confirmed on Sunday that the final group of abductees had been released. “A total number of 130 victims, including the staff, have been released,” he said, describing them as the “remaining batch” of those kidnapped.

Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga echoed the announcement, stating in a post on X that the remaining 130 schoolchildren abducted had been freed and would arrive in Minna, the Niger State capital, on Monday , where they would reunite with their families ahead of Christmas. Another presidential aide, Sunday Dare, also said that no schoolchildren were left in captivity.

However, the police earlier acknowledged that 35 schoolchildren and some teachers were unaccounted for , and when asked about their status, Abiodun said only that “further details will be communicated,” leaving lingering uncertainty despite government assurances that all abductees have been released.

No armed group has claimed responsibility for the mass abduction, but local residents blamed criminal gangs, commonly referred to as bandits, who have increasingly targeted schools, churches and travellers across Nigeria’s conflict-hit north in kidnappings-for-ransom operations.

The presidency said the release followed a “military intelligence-driven operation,” though officials did not disclose operational details, in line with the government’s usual practice in such cases. No arrests have been announced , and authorities did not say whether the captors were confronted or negotiated with.

The government has also not admitted to paying any ransom . Nigerian officials typically deny ransom payments, but security analysts widely believe that ransoms are often paid discreetly , contributing to the persistence of mass kidnappings and the rarity of successful prosecutions.

The Niger State abduction was part of a spate of mass kidnappings across Nigeria in recent weeks. It occurred just four days after 25 schoolchildren were abducted in neighbouring Kebbi State , while 38 worshippers kidnapped from a church in Kwara State around the same period were later freed.

President Bola Tinubu has faced mounting domestic and international pressure over Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, including criticism from US President Donald Trump , who has alleged that Christians are being specifically targeted, a claim Nigerian authorities have rejected.

While the release of the schoolchildren has brought relief to families, the episode has once again underscored persistent security gaps, limited transparency around rescue operations, and the unresolved question of how criminal gangs continue to operate with near impunity across large parts of the country.