President Bola Tinubu has directed Nigeria’s security agencies to “immediately secure the release” of the remaining 115 students abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
The directive followed the return of 100 of the kidnapped victims on Sunday—two weeks after gunmen stormed the school at about 2 a.m. and whisked away 315 persons, including 303 students and 12 teachers.
In a statement on Monday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said Tinubu commended security operatives for the “tireless and coordinated efforts” that led to the rescue of the 100 students and all the teachers.
The President, however, insisted that the ongoing operation must not stop until every victim is accounted for.
“My directive to our security forces remains unchanged: all the students and every abducted Nigerian must be rescued and brought home safely. We must account for all the victims,” the President was quoted as saying.
Tinubu also rejoiced with Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, noting that the safe return of the first batch of students was proof that recent security reforms were beginning to yield results.
He promised that the Federal Government would intensify collaboration with state governments to secure schools across the country, stressing that students should no longer be “sitting ducks for heartless terrorists”.
“From now on, our security agencies, working with the governors, must prevent future kidnappings,” he said. “Our children must not continue to suffer needless trauma in the pursuit of education.”
The November 21 attack lasted nearly three hours, with bandits operating on motorbikes and ferrying away hundreds of schoolchildren in one of the largest school abductions in recent years. Fifty pupils managed to escape within the first 24 hours.
The rescue of the 100 students—confirmed by the Federal Government on Sunday—has renewed pressure on security agencies to free the remaining 115 children still in captivity.
Parents and community members in Papiri have continued to express anguish over the fate of the children left behind, urging authorities to accelerate efforts before the abductors begin issuing threats or ransom demands.
As of Monday night, security agencies had not disclosed operational details, but sources hinted that the search-and-rescue mission had been “significantly intensified”.
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