Governor Umaru Bago has welcomed 100 of the abducted pupils of St. Mary’s Catholic Private Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, whose release was facilitated by the Federal Government after weeks of anguish.
Arriving in separate buses at about 5:20 p.m., the children were ushered into the Niger State Government House, where the governor and senior officials received them in a subdued mix of relief and unresolved sorrow.
The Federal Government reportedly secured their freedom on Sunday, though the Presidency has not issued an official statement. The silence deepened uncertainty within the Christian community, with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State chapter, saying it had not received formal confirmation of the development.
Bishop Bulus Yohanna, who chairs the chapter, described the reports as both hopeful and incomplete — a glimmer of dawn without full daylight.
“It will be a thing of joy if some of our children have been released,” he said. “We have been praying and waiting for their return. If it is true, then it is cheering news. However, we are not officially aware and have not been duly notified. We hope and pray it’s true and will be looking forward to when the remaining will be released.”
The attack on 21 November 2025 shattered the quiet of Papiri, when bandits stormed the school and seized 315 people — 303 students and 12 teachers. With only 100 now accounted for, the shadows still hold more than two hundred lives.
