When the buses rolled into the Government House in Minna on Monday, silence briefly settled over the compound. Then came tears, prayers and embraces.
The remaining 130 schoolchildren and teachers abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, were finally home.
For weeks, their absence had hung heavily over Nigeria and their families and community in Niger State, turning classrooms into painful reminders of fear and uncertainty.
Governor Mohammed Bago received the rescued victims at the Government House, describing their release as a profound relief for the state and the families who had lived in anguish since the night armed men stormed the Catholic school in Papiri.
“This is very touchy,” the governor said, noting the age of the children. “We are grateful that they have returned alive.”
The Papiri abduction occurred during a broader surge in attacks on schools in parts of northern Nigeria, where armed groups have increasingly targeted students, teachers and rural communities.
The incident had reignited national debate about the safety of schools and the long-term impact of insecurity on children’s education.
Some of the abducted pupils were released earlier, but the fate of the remaining group remained uncertain, keeping parents and relatives in a prolonged state of fear.
At the reception in Minna, some of the rescued children appeared withdrawn, while others clung tightly to one another.
Teachers who were taken alongside them looked visibly exhausted. Medical personnel were on hand as officials said the victims would undergo health checks and psychological support before being reunited with their families.
Governor Bago thanked President Bola Tinubu for authorising what he described as sustained rescue efforts and acknowledged the roles of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the service chiefs and various security agencies.
He also recognised the behind-the-scenes contributions of traditional rulers, religious leaders and community members, many of whom, he said, worked quietly to support rescue efforts and keep hope alive in Papiri.
Representing the National Security Adviser, the National Coordinator of the Counter-Terrorism Centre, Major-General Adamu Garba Laka, said the rescue followed a presidential directive that led to coordinated operations involving the State Security Service, the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, and other agencies, with support from international partners.
He said the Office of the NSA would continue working with state governments and local communities to develop preventive, community-based security strategies aimed at protecting schools and ensuring that children can learn without fear.
For parents in Papiri, however, Monday was less about policy or security architecture and more about reunion.
After weeks of waiting, their children were back, alive and well. And for a community that had prayed, protested and endured in silence, the return of the pupils marked the end of a long, painful chapter and the beginning of healing.
Background to the Papiri abduction
The remaining students and teachers abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, on 21 November, were rescued on Monday.
The victims were among students and teachers seized when armed assailants, riding on motorcycles, stormed the boarding school at about 2:00 a.m. that fateful day.
The attackers reportedly operated for nearly three hours, moving systematically from one dormitory to another before marching their captives into nearby forests.
At least 50 students escaped during the raid, while scores of others were taken away. On 8 December, security agencies secured the release of about 100 abductees, leaving an unspecified number in captivity until yesterday’s breakthrough.
Sources said the students and teachers were rescued from forests near Benin Republic’s border with Nigeria and were then transported by bus to Minna, in a journey that lasted over 10 hours.
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Following the abduction of the victims in November, the Federal Government imposed a security cordon around border communities and deployed ground troops and aerial surveillance across parts of Niger, Kebbi and Kwara States to track the kidnappers.
President Bola Tinubu also cancelled an official trip to personally coordinate rescue efforts, while authorities ordered the temporary closure of schools across Niger State and some federal institutions located in high-risk areas.
