Niger State Governor Umaru Bago on Monday received 100 students of St. Mary’s Catholic Private Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area, following their release less than 24 hours after it was first announced.
The children were transported in buses to the Niger State Government House, where they were welcomed by Governor Bago and other state officials at around 5:20 pm.
The students were kidnapped on November 21 when gunmen on motorbikes stormed the school around 2:00 a.m., holding the premises for nearly three hours. Authorities reported that 303 students and 12 teachers were abducted, while about 50 pupils escaped within the first 24 hours and were reunited with their families.
In response to the rescue, U.S. Congressman Riley Moore commended the Federal Government for securing the release of the children. In a post on X, Moore described the rescue as a positive demonstration of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.
“I want to thank the Nigerian government and @officialABAT for rescuing the 100 innocent and precious Catholic school children. This is a positive demonstration of the government’s increasing response to the security situation and shows commitment to the emergency declaration laid out by President Tinubu,” Moore wrote.
He also noted that a joint task force has been set up between the U.S. State Department and the Nigerian government to address reports of Christian persecution in the country.
