The Nigerian presidency says 130 pupils abducted from St Mary’s Catholic boarding school in late November have been freed, adding to about 100 released earlier in December. Officials and a UN source say all those taken may now be back, but final verification is ongoing because many pupils come from remote villages. Authorities have not named the kidnappers or detailed how the releases were secured. The incident highlights Nigeria’s wider kidnap-for-ransom crisis and follows a month of several mass abductions.
Nigeria: 130 Kidnapped St Mary’s Pupils Freed — Final Verification Underway
A classroom at St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Agwarra local government, Niger State, on November 23 [File: AFP]
Nigerian authorities announced that 130 schoolchildren abducted from St Mary’s Catholic boarding school in late November have been released, a presidential spokesman said on Sunday. The announcement follows an earlier government statement that around 100 pupils were freed in early December.
What Officials Say
Presidential spokesman Sunday Dare confirmed the latest releases on X (formerly Twitter), writing:
“Another 130 Abducted Niger State Pupils Released, None Left In Captivity.”
Background And Numbers
The raid on St Mary’s, in the rural hamlet of Papiri in north-central Niger State, involved armed men who abducted hundreds of students and staff. Initial counts by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said about 315 students and staff were unaccounted for after the attack. Around 50 people escaped during the assault, and the government said it had secured the release of roughly 100 people on December 7.
Before Sunday’s announcement, officials believed approximately 165 people remained in captivity. A United Nations source later told AFP that everyone taken appeared to have been released, noting that dozens thought to be abducted had fled during the attack and subsequently returned home. Authorities say final verification is still required.
Verification And Challenges
Verification has been complicated by the remote origins of many pupils, who come from villages several hours away by motorbike. The UN source said the remaining group of girls and secondary students would be transported to Minna, the capital of Niger State, for further checks. Daniel Atori, a CAN spokesman in Niger State, told AFP:
“We’ll have to still do final verification.”
Who Carried Out The Attack?
Authorities have not publicly identified the perpetrators or disclosed how the government secured the releases. Kidnapping for ransom is a well-established criminal revenue stream in Nigeria, and mass abductions have surged in recent months.
Wider Context
The November incidents were part of a broader wave of mass kidnappings that month, which included the abduction of two dozen Muslim schoolgirls, 38 churchgoers, and a bride with her bridesmaids, along with several farmers and other civilians. The raids echo the 2014 Chibok abductions that drew major international attention.
Meanwhile, diplomatic tensions have risen after comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has described large-scale killings of Christians in Nigeria as a “genocide” and threatened possible intervention. Nigeria’s government and independent analysts reject that characterization.
Security experts also point to a growing kidnap-for-ransom industry. A recent report from Lagos-based consultancy SBM Intelligence estimated that the trade generated roughly $1.66 million between July 2024 and June 2025.
Note: Verification of the released pupils’ identities and complete accounting remains ongoing.
