President Bola Tinubu commended Nigeria's security agencies for securing the release of 100 students abducted from St. Mary's Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, on November 21, 2025, while demanding urgent action to free the remaining victims still held by gunmen. The mass kidnapping initially 303 students (aged 5-18) and 12 teachers from the boarding school near Kainji Lake saw 50 escape days later, leaving over 250 in captivity until this breakthrough reduced the tally amid no claimed responsibility. Tinubu's directive underscores intensified operations in bandit-plagued Northwest, where schools shuttered indefinitely post-attack.
The nighttime raid by motorbike gunmen targeted dormitories, herding children into trucks despite fleeing guards, sparking nationwide closures and global prayers from Catholic leaders like OLA Sisters. Details on the 100's release whether ransom, rescue, or escape remain unclear, with church and government coordinating family reunions. Niger Governor Mohammed Umar Bago contested initial figures but vowed full recovery.
Tinubu's applause aligns with cancelled G20/EU-AU trips amid escalating abductions, including recent Zamfara/Kebbi incidents, as US tensions rise over Christian persecution. Over 265 captives persist; operations continue.