Overview
- Security convoys delivered six vans of children to Niger State Government House in Minna on Monday for health checks and reunions before Christmas, according to officials and on-the-ground reporting.
- Presidential spokesmen said 130 people were freed on Sunday and that no one from the Papiri abduction remains in captivity, following earlier releases of about 100 on Dec. 7–8 and roughly 50 who escaped on the first day.
- Tally disputes persist: CAN initially said 315 were taken, the presidency has cited totals that imply 230 freed, and Niger state’s governor on Monday suggested 230 were abducted, with church and UN sources calling for final verification.
- Authorities have not identified the kidnappers or disclosed the terms of the release; officials cite a military‑intelligence operation, analysts note ransoms are common, and local reports say the handover occurred near the Benin border.
- The November raid on St. Mary’s Catholic School, which included young children and staff, was one of the year’s largest school kidnappings and part of a broader resurgence of abductions across northern and central Nigeria.