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The Federal Government has reportedly secured the release of 100 schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area, Niger State.
The Eastern Updates reports that bandits attacked the school on November 21, 2025, in the remote community of Papiri.
The gunmen, arriving around 2 am on motorbikes, reportedly stormed the school dormitories over a three-hour period, abducting 315 people—303 students and 12 teachers.
Security forces and community hunters were deployed to comb nearby forests for the abductees.
The Eastern Updates recalls that, in the immediate aftermath, 50 pupils escaped within the first day and were reunited with their families. However, 265 individuals—including 253 children and all 12 teachers—remained in captivity.
The chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Niger State chapter, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, has confirmed that 227 people, including teachers and students, were abducted from St Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Niger State.
Yohanna, who is also the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, made this known in a statement issued by his media aide, Mr Dan Atori, in Minna.
The abductees include 215 pupils and students and 12 teachers.
He explained that some students escaped during the attack, and parents have begun collecting their children, adding that the school has currently been shut down.
According to him, CAN is working with the government and security agencies to secure the safe release of the abductees.
The CAN chairman appealed for calm and prayers, assuring that efforts are underway to rescue those kidnapped.
The attack was carried out today, Friday, November 21, 2025, by suspected terrorists, and security operatives are actively involved in the rescue efforts.
The incident reportedly occurred between 2am and 3am, and the exact number of abductees remained unknown.
