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21h ago

Nigeria Says Final 130 Papiri Schoolchildren Freed as Reunions Begin in Minna

Officials credit a military-intelligence operation, with headcounts and how the releases were secured still unverified.

A general view of a classroom at St. Mary's Catholic School in Papiri, Agwarra local government, Niger state, on November 23, 2025.
Image
Freed students of St. Mary's Catholic School in the Papiri community pose for photographs upon their arrival at the government house, in Minna, Nigeria, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
Parents of abducted school children gather at the St. Mary's Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri community, Nigeria, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo )

Overview

  • Government and police said 130 students and staff were released on Sunday, declaring no one from the St. Mary’s abduction remains in captivity.
  • Security escorts delivered the children to the Niger State Government House in Minna on Monday for handover, medical checks and family reunions.
  • Conflicting tallies persist, with the Christian Association of Nigeria earlier citing 315 abducted and school and church sources flagging roughly 35 names that may still lack verification.
  • Presidential aides described the outcome as military-intelligence driven, while authorities have not disclosed details on negotiations or payments and analysts note ransoms are common in such cases.
  • The Nov. 21 raid on St. Mary’s in Papiri was among the country’s largest recent school kidnappings, spotlighting a kidnap-for-ransom economy estimated at about $1.66 million between July 2024 and June 2025.