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On Monday, December 22, Nigerians got their first glimpse of 130 children and teachers freed after kidnappers captured them last month. This is one of the largest mass kidnappings in Nigerian history. Authorities said plans were underway to reunite the children with their families before Christmas.
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More details on the condition of children after kidnapping
According to the associated presssome children appeared malnourished or in shock upon arriving at a government ceremony. Police said the children were released on Sunday. A month had passed since gunmen stormed their Catholic school in Papiri community, Niger State, on November 21.
Authorities previously reported that 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers were taken hostage. Fifty of them fled within hours and 100 were released earlier this month. However, on Monday, Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago said 230 people had been captured and all had now been released.
The remaining 130 schoolchildren kidnapped by terrorists from St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State on November 21 have now been released. They are expected to arrive in Minna on Monday and join their parents for the Christmas celebration.
About a hundred were released… pic.twitter.com/tqiK4bR80r
– Weapon Onanuga, OON, CON (@aonanuga 1956) December 21, 2025
Who did it and what happened after the kidnapping?
Authorities did not say whether a ransom – common in such kidnappings – had been paid for the 130 newly freed people. No group has claimed responsibility. However, residents have accused armed gangs targeting schools and travelers of kidnapping ransoms in conflict-ravaged northern Nigeria.
Most of those arrested in the mass attack were aged 10 to 17, the school said. One of the children released earlier told the AP that gunmen threatened to shoot them during the attack.
Meanwhile, Major General Adamu Garba Laka said at Monday’s event that Nigeria would work with community leaders to strengthen security in high-risk areas. Laka is the National Coordinator of the Nigeria Counter Terrorism Centre.
25 girls also kidnapped in Nigeria days after historic mass kidnapping
School kidnappings have become a symbol of insecurity in Africa’s most populous country. Days before the mass kidnapping, gunmen also targeted girls at a boarding school. They stormed the school on November 17, kidnapping 25 schoolgirls around 4 a.m. that day. One person died and another was subsequently injured. The most recent report claims that one girl escaped the same day, while the other 24 were rescued by Nigerian forces. by PBS News.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
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