The presidency on Sunday confirmed that no student of St. Mary’s Catholic Private Primary and Secondary School in Papiri community, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State remains in the captivity of bandits.
According to the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Communication, Sunday Dare, the remaining 130 pupils from the school have been released.
Dare, in a post via his 𝕏 account on Sunday, wrote, “Another 130 Abducted Niger State Pupils Released, None Left In Captivity.”
Naijaonpoint reports that ... was accompanied by a photo of smiling children and a woman.
The presidential spokesperson, however, did not give details of how the students regained freedom or if a ransom was paid to secure their release.
It would be recalled that bandits had invaded the remote Papiri community around 2:00 a.m. on November 21, arriving on motorbikes and attacking the school dormitories for over three hours. By the time they retreated, 315 people, 303 students and 12 teachers, had been taken away.
In the first 24 hours after the abduction, 50 pupils managed to escape and were reunited with their families.
Another 100 students were released on December 8 following intensive security operations.
The latest release of the remaining students ends days of anguish for families and represents a significant success for security agencies involved in the rescue efforts.