Nigerian officials announced Dec. 21 that another 130 schoolchildren abducted last month by terrorists from a Catholic boarding school in Nigeria have been released.
“The remaining 130 schoolchildren abducted by terrorists at St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, on November 21, have now been released,” President Bola Tinubu’s spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said in a post on X.
Onanuga said the release followed a “military-intelligence driven operation.”
The children are expected to reunite with their families on Dec. 23, in time for Christmas. With the latest release, the total number of freed students now stands at 230.
As CatholicVote previously reported, armed bandits stormed the Catholic diocesan school in Niger State on Nov. 21, abducting 315 students and staff, according to Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna of the Kontagora Diocese. About 50 students escaped in the days following the attack, and 100 others were released on Dec. 8.
Sunday Dare, another spokesperson for Tinubu, also said on social media Dec. 21 that there were “None Left In Captivity,” indicating the final number of students held was slightly fewer than initially believed.
According to AP News, Niger State police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said “the remaining batch of the abducted students” had been released. Asked about reports of 35 unaccounted for students and missing teachers, he told the outlet, “Further details will be communicated.”
The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora said it is “profoundly grateful to the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Niger State Government, the security agencies, and all other partners whose efforts and interventions contributed to the safe release of the victims” in a Dec. 21 statement signed by the diocesan secretary, Father Jatau Luka Joseph.
“May the Lord grant the swift release of those still in captivity and continue to protect His people from all dangers,” Fr. Joseph concluded.
Earlier this month, a U.S. congressional delegation traveled to Nigeria to press officials on security reforms and protections for vulnerable communities, weeks after President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) on Oct. 31. Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., who participated in the visit, described the meetings as “very productive” in a Dec. 7 X post. He highlighted discussions with national security officials on steps to dismantle terrorist networks and curb attacks on Christians.
Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., said Dec. 21 that a bipartisan group of lawmakers had completed a separate trip to the country where they “continue to meet with American and Nigerian officials as well as religious leaders about ending this brutality that afflicts both Christians and moderate Muslims in Nigeria.”
Tinubu initially rejected U.S. findings of religious persecution after Trump issued the CPC designation, insisting Nigeria protects religious liberty, as CatholicVote previously reported. In recent weeks, however, Tinubu has acknowledged increased violence and pledged a tougher response. On Nov. 25, Tinubu said he ordered a “full security cordon” across remote regions of the country and declared a nationwide security emergency the following day, vowing to restore order and prevent further mass kidnappings.
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