But Church Prays for Others Still in Captivity
By Mike Odeh James and Ezinwanne Onwuka
Thirty-eight days after gunmen stormed dormitories in rural Niger State, 230 abducted schoolchildren and staff of St. Mary’s Private (Catholic) School in Papiri have returned alive. The second batch of the release was on December 21—just five days before Christmas.
The Night Papiri Went Silent
The attack followed a grimly familiar pattern. In the early hours of November 21, between 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m., armed men arrived on motorcycles and vans, breached layers of local security, and swept through the dormitories of St. Mary’s Private (Catholic) School.
The school, run by the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles, is in a quiet rural community—one with little to suggest it would become the center of a national tragedy.
By dawn, the attackers had vanished into forests spanning Niger State and neighboring regions. A security guard was left critically wounded. Hundreds of beds across the dormitories stood empty.
In a press statement issued a day after the attack, the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora said: “According to survivors, the attackers operated aggressively and without interruption for nearly three hours, moving through dormitories and rooms before taking the victims away in vans.”
Counting the Missing
From the outset, the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora kept meticulous records of those taken.
Speaking to TruthNigeria, His Lordship, Most Rev. Dr. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, said: “We compiled the list of missing students and staff immediately after the attack. Those abducted were 289 nursery (preschool) and primary (elementary) school pupils, 14 secondary school (high school) students, and 12 teachers and non-academic staff (four females and eight males). A total of 315 persons.”
Among those kidnapped were some of the youngest victims ever taken in a Nigerian school abduction—preschool children, barely old enough to comprehend what was happening.
At the time of the attack, the primary school section had 430 pupils—377 boarders and 53 day pupils—while the secondary school had 199 students, including 185 boarders and 14 day students.
Relief rippled across the country on November 23 when the Diocese announced that 50 abducted pupils had escaped while being moved through the bush. Disoriented and terrified, they did not return to the school but instead found their way back to their homes.
Their safety was confirmed only after diocesan officials contacted families and conducted follow-up visits. This reduced the number of hostages from the initial 315 reported to 265: 239 pupils, 14 students, and 12 staff members.
The First Breakthrough
As parents, church leaders, and Nigerians prayed relentlessly for the children’s safe return, the federal government quietly initiated negotiations with the kidnappers.
Those efforts paid off on December 9, when 100 captives were released. According to Bishop Yohanna, they included 14 secondary school students, 80 primary school pupils, five nursery pupils, and one staff member.
David Sabu, a parent, told TruthNigeria that while the Niger State government initially attempted to lead negotiations, it was later sidelined by the federal authorities.
“Once the federal government intervened, they sidelined him and sent in National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, who met with the terrorists and secured the release of the hostages,” he said.
In a statement confirming the release, the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora expressed gratitude to Nigerian authorities and prayed for the safe return of the remaining 165 captives.
The Second Breakthrough
Following the first release, and amid mounting pressure from the United States government to curb terrorist attacks nationwide, talks between the government and abductors continued.
A week and five days later, another breakthrough came.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga announced: “The remaining 130 schoolchildren abducted by terrorists at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, on November 21, have now been released.” Onanuga said their freedom resulted from a “military-intelligence driven operation.”
The Diocese later confirmed the development in a press briefing, describing it only as a “second batch release” without specifying the number freed. In what appeared to be a careful effort to avoid contradicting the presidency, diocesan leaders instead prayed for the “swift release of those still in captivity.”
Questions Surrounding the Release
It remains unclear whether the releases were achieved solely through negotiations, the payment of ransom, undisclosed military pressure, or a combination of all three. No ransom demands were publicly reported by worried parents.
Bishop Yohanna said he is unaware of any ransom payment, stressing that neither he nor the Catholic Church participated in negotiations with the kidnappers. He also clarified that the Church does not have verified information on the identity of those responsible for the abduction.
At a December 1 meeting with Bishop Yohanna, parents, school officials, and leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Ribadu reportedly hinted that he may have had insider contact with the abductors. He assured those present that the children “are doing fine and will be back soon,” adding that “the children are where they are and will come back safely.”
Mike and Ezinwanne are conflict reporters for TruthNigeria.
