The Nigerian government has said it has rescued 100 children from a Catholic school who were kidnapped last month.
The news was announced on Sunday, December 7, 2025.
The West African country has been plagued by a spate of kidnappings, prompting President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency.
Gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, on November 21, abducting 315 people, including 303 students and 12 teachers, according to authorities.
Two days later, 50 people managed to escape and return to their families, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said.
On Sunday, Channels TV reported that another 100 had been released, bringing the total to about 165.
The newspaper did not say whether any ransom was paid or how the release was carried out.
CAN spokesman in Niger, Daniel Atori, told Reuters that they had not yet received official information from the government about the program.
We hope and pray that it is true, and we expect that the rest will be released,” he said.
Presidential spokesman Sunday Dare also confirmed the news, according to AFP.
The attack on St. Mary’s School was the deadliest abduction in Nigeria since 2014, when more than 270 Chibok schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram militants.
The United Nations Human Rights Office has expressed alarm at the surge in the number of kidnappings, saying at least 402 people, mostly students, have been abducted in four northern states of Niger, Kebbi, Kwara and Borno since November 17, 2025.
Nigerian President Tinubu declared a nationwide state of emergency on November 26 after widespread public anger, ordering security forces to increase their numbers.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he would extend intelligence assistance at Tinubu’s request.
This comes as French troops have been withdrawn from neighboring countries including Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso for failing to stop the deadly insurgency.
