Photo credit: Dailypost
2025-12-22 09:00:00
According to *The Punch*, Nigeria’s Presidency says the final group of pupils abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, has been released—bringing the month-long ordeal to a close.
The latest release covers the remaining 130 schoolchildren who were still being held after earlier breakthroughs that saw dozens escape and others rescued in phases.
Officials say the children are expected to reunite with their families in Minna in time for Christmas, following a security-led effort involving military intelligence.
The incident had drawn national outrage, again spotlighting the recurring pattern of mass school kidnappings in the North-Central/North-West corridor and the pressure on authorities to secure releases quickly and safely.
Associated Press separately confirmed the release and quoted government spokesmen saying there were “no hostages remain in captivity,” while Reuters also reported the students were freed after a “military-intelligence-driven operation.”
**Echotitbits take:** The key question now is deterrence: arrests, prosecution, and hardening school security—because “rescues” without consequences keep the kidnapping economy alive. Watch for official clarity on the fate of abducted staff and whether community protection measures follow in Papiri and surrounding LGAs.
Source: Dailypost — December 22, 2025 (https://dailypost.ng/2025/12/21/abducted-st-marys-schoolchildren-in-niger-state-regain-freedom/)