Final Group of Kidnapped Nigerian Schoolchildren Freed, Set to Reunite with Families
The final group of 130 kidnapped Nigerian schoolchildren has been freed by the government and is expected to reunite with their families in central Niger state on Monday, ending a month-long ordeal. Earlier, about 215 pupils and 12 teachers were abducted from St Mary's Catholic School in Papiri, Niger state; 50 escaped soon after the abduction, and 100 were released on 7 December.
The last group was released near the Nigeria–Benin border. There have been no details disclosed about who abducted them or how their freedom was secured. Presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare announced that the 130 pupils were released and confirmed that no children remained in captivity.
The Papiri abduction was followed by another mass abduction in Nigeria within a week and represents the second mass abduction in Niger state in four years, after May 2021 when 135 pupils were abducted from an Islamic seminary.
Kidnap-for-ransom is a significant component of Nigeria's broader security crisis, involving armed bandits in the north and jihadists with links to the Sahel region. Rural areas remain particularly vulnerable while security agencies are stretched thin.
According to SBM Intelligence, there were 4,722 kidnapping victims in Nigeria between July 2024 and June 2025, with at least 762 people killed and around $1.66 million paid in ransom.
The wider security context has included warnings of potential US action. The US designated Nigeria as a country of particular concern, citing Christian genocide; however, Nigeria rejects this characterization as an oversimplification.
The 2014 Chibok kidnapping remains the most high-profile case and spurred global campaigns for the release of abducted schoolchildren.
