The remaining 130 Nigerian schoolchildren abducted in November from a Catholic boarding school in Niger State have been released, according to President Bola Tinubu’s spokesperson.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, December 21, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga announced that the students had regained their freedom through a military and intelligence-led operation.
“The remaining 130 schoolchildren abducted by terrorists have now been released. They are expected to arrive in Minna on Monday and reunite with their parents ahead of the Christmas celebration,” Onanuga said.
The students were among more than 300 pupils and 12 staff members abducted by gunmen from St. Mary’s Catholic Boarding School in Papiri village in the early hours of November 21. At the time of the attack, about 50 students reportedly escaped, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria.
Earlier, on December 8, the federal government announced that 100 of the abducted students had been rescued. With the latest release, the total number of freed students now stands at 230.
The mass abduction sparked widespread outrage and renewed concerns over the worsening security situation in northern Nigeria, where armed groups frequently target schools for ransom. School kidnappings have increased significantly since the 2014 abduction of 276 schoolgirls by Boko Haram militants in Chibok, Borno State.
