Niger State Governor, Umaru Mohammed Bago, yesterday received 100 pupils of St. Mary’s Catholic Private Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, who regained freedom nearly two weeks after being abducted by gunmen.
The children, conveyed to the Government House, Minna, in several buses under heavy security escort, arrived on Monday evening to an emotional welcome by the governor, senior government officials, and anxious family members.
The pupils were part of the 315 victims — including students and teachers — seized when armed men stormed the remote Papiri community in the early hours of November 21. The attackers, who rode into the village on motorbikes around 2 a.m., reportedly operated for close to three hours before fleeing with 303 students and 12 teachers.
About 50 pupils escaped within the first 24 hours, reducing the number of those held to 265 before Sunday’s release.
Governor Bago assured families that the state government would continue to support the returnees and intensify efforts to secure the release of any remaining captives.
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