The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has handed over the remaining 130 pupils and teachers of St Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, to the Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, following their release from captivity.
The schoolchildren were freed on Friday between Agwara and Borgu Local Government Areas of Niger State, bringing to an end a harrowing five-week ordeal.
Gunmen had abducted 315 people, including 303 pupils and 12 teachers, during a brazen attack on November 21, 2025. Fifty pupils escaped shortly after the abduction, while 100 others were released on December 7.
At the Government House, Minna, where the formal handover took place, journalists were barred from speaking with the children, but the atmosphere was visibly emotional, with some of the rescued students seen in tears.
Ribadu, who was represented by Major General Adamu Garba Laka, the National Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, said the rescue operation was executed on the orders of President Bola Tinubu.
He disclosed that the successful rescue was the result of sustained efforts by the Department of State Services (DSS) and troops from the 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, acting under the directive of the Chief of Army Staff.
Ribadu reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to securing communities and schools across the country.
He added that both immediate protective measures and long-term, community-based security strategies were being deployed in high-risk areas, involving state authorities, traditional rulers, and religious leaders.