By Mike Odeh James
(Minna) One hundred of the 265 pupils and staff abducted from St. Mary’s Co-Education Boarding School in Niger State have been freed after negotiations between the Nigerian government and their captors.
The November 21, 2025, attack is the largest mass abduction in Nigeria’s history, surpassing the 2014 Chibok abduction in scale and echoing its terrifying pattern of mass-student seizures.
“The number of students kidnapped exceeded by far the number of Chibok and Dapchi children that were kidnapped,” David Onyilokwu Idah, Director International Human Rights Commission Abuja, told TruthNigeria.
“It shows a pattern, most of the kidnapped school children are Christians, be it in Chibok, Dapchi or Niger State. The difference is that in the case of the Niger kidnapped, we have more than 303 school children that were kidnapped,’ Idah told TruthNigeria.
“Compared to 2015, I am sorry say, we have learned nothing. By now, schools should have appropriate security measures to prevent such attacks,” he added.
ISWAP Linked to the Raid
Several international and Nigerian media outlets, including The Guardian UK, reported that fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) carried out the attack.
Authorities have not publicly disputed the claim. ISWAP has previously executed mass abductions, including attacks on Dapchi (2018) and Kukawa (2020), but never on this scale, making the Papiri abduction an unprecedented escalation.
“Fact is that no one is sure that those responsible for the kidnapping are ISWAP or Ansaru, but we have in Niger and Kogi states very dangerous Jihadist groups that are coming in from Mali through Benin Republic, said Idah, who is also an expert on the Sahelian countries.
The terrorists stormed the school at about 9:30 a.m., taking 303 students and 12 teachers. Fifty hostages escaped within hours, leaving 265 in captivity. With 100 now freed, 165 remain missing.
Negotiated Release Confirmed
According to The Guardian, the release followed a series of negotiations with federal officials.
The report did not specify whether ransom was paid, and government sources have not clarified the terms.
At present, it remains unknown whether the release resulted from negotiation alone, ransom payment, or undisclosed military pressure.
“Definitely there were talk between the terrorists and the Federal Government officials which resulted in their release,” Idah told TruthNigeria.
“Going by the past kidnappings, ransom was paid, and safe passages or guarantees were given to the terrorists before the release of the school children,” he added.
Presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare also confirmed the handover in a brief statement.
The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, which oversees St. Mary’s School, welcomed the news but said it had yet to receive any official notification.
“We have been praying and waiting for their return. If it is true, it is cheering news. However, we are not officially aware,” said Daniel Atori, spokesperson for Bishop Bulus Yohanna.
CAN Leader: Terrorists Using Children as Human Shields
Speaking shortly before the release, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, Chairman of CAN for the 19 Northern States, warned that the terrorists were using the children to block a military rescue.
“They are holding the children as human shields, so charging in would get them killed. The children would be released, but [the authorities] would have also signed their death warrants,” he said.
Hayab referenced the 2022 Abuja–Kaduna train abduction, noting that many perpetrators who released their hostages were later tracked and eliminated.
Nationwide Kidnapping Crisis Deepens
The mass abduction occurred during a month of heightened insecurity across Nigeria. The country continues to confront:
· A 15-year jihadist war with Boko Haram and ISWAP
· Expanding banditry in the Northwest
· Deadly raids and ethnic-religious cleansing by armed Fulani militias in the Middle Belt
· Separatist-linked violence in the South-East
Kidnap-for-Ransom Industry Expands
A new report by SBM Intelligence titled “Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry” paints a grim picture of a booming criminal market.
Key findings (July 2024–June 2025):
· 4,722 abductions nationwide
· ₦2.57 billion paid in ransom
· Kidnapping now operates as a structured national industry driven by economic collapse and weak policing
165 Still Held by ISWAP
While the release of 100 children has brought relief, fear remains for the 165 still in captivity. Officials have not disclosed the status, location, or condition of the remaining hostages, and St. Mary’s School remains closed under heavy security.
Families, Church authorities, and aid groups continue to wait—hopeful, anxious, and uncertain.
Mike Odeh James report on conflict and insecurity for TruthNigeria.
