Nigerian School Abductions: 100 Children Freed, Over 150 Remain Captive. Papiri, Nigeria — December 11, 2025 Lead Paragraph One hundred Nigerian schoolchildren who were abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri last month have been released and returned to their families, while over 150 others, including teachers, remain in captivity, according to local reports.
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The release of the children came over the weekend, providing a moment of relief for families who had been in a state of anxiety and uncertainty for weeks. Among those freed is Onyeka Chieme, who shared his harrowing experience inside the kidnappers’ camp, highlighting the deplorable conditions under which the captives were held.
The November 21 attack on the school saw at least 303 students and 12 teachers seized by armed men, marking one of the largest school kidnappings in Nigeria since the 2014 Chibok abductions. Approximately 50 children managed to escape shortly after the initial attack.
The government has not disclosed the details of the release, leaving it unclear whether a ransom was paid.
Parents are still waiting for news of their children who remain in captivity, expressing their hope for their safe return. Local residents believe heavily armed criminal gangs, known for kidnapping for ransom, are behind the attack.
However, no group has officially claimed responsibility.
Despite the trauma, some parents are determined not to let fear deter their children from education. Precious Njikonye, a mother of a rescued child, said “I still believe in education.
They will still go back to school even more… We still have hope that our government can try and help us.
” In Papiri, the community is attempting to return to normalcy, with residents engaging in their daily routines.
However, the crisis in the forested hideouts where many children are held continues to cast a shadow over the community. Nigeria has faced a series of mass school abductions since 2014, with a reporting that at least 1,799 students have been kidnapped over the past decade.
This highlights the growing threat that armed gangs pose across the country’s northwest and central regions.
As families in Papiri welcome their returned children, their relief is tinged with the urgent plea for the government to secure the release of all the children still held captive. Ending.
Further details regarding the ongoing situation and the fate of the remaining captives are expected to emerge in the coming days.
The government’s response to the crisis and its efforts to prevent future abductions remain under scrutiny.
