Bago welcomes 100 freed Catholic schoolchildren in Minna
Niger State governor, Umaru Bago, on Monday received 100 pupils of St. Mary’s Catholic Private Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, who were released on Sunday after being held captive for two weeks.
The children, transported in multiple buses under heavy security, arrived at the Government House in Minna at about 5:20 p.m., where they were greeted by the governor, senior government officials, and their families.
The pupils were abducted from their school in Papiri, a community in the Munya Local Government Area, on November 21. According to earlier reports, armed bandits stormed the school around 2 a.m., riding on motorbikes, and kidnapped 315 individuals including 303 students and 12 teachers during a three-hour attack.
Within the first 24 hours, 50 students managed to escape. The remaining 265 captives, including all 12 teachers, stayed in captivity until the federal government announced the release of 100 students on Sunday.
READ ALSO:Bandits disagree over negotiations, delay release of abducted Niger students
Their rescue was made possible through intensified military operations, aerial surveillance across Niger, Kwara, and Kebbi states, and the involvement of local hunters tracking the kidnappers in the forests. Despite the progress, 153 students and all 12 teachers are still being held.
Before the latest release, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu assured the public that the abducted children were safe and would soon reunite with their families.
“Mr. President is deeply distressed. He halted all engagements and postponed a planned trip,” Ribadu said.
“Enough is enough. We will continue to push back. We must not let criminals divide us or allow evil to take root. Many well-meaning people, both within Nigeria and internationally, are supporting our efforts, including partners from the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and other European nations. The global community is uniting to help us put an end to this scourge that has plagued Nigeria for nearly twenty years.”
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