President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has applauded Nigeria’s security agencies for securing the release of 100 students abducted from Papiri Catholic School in Niger State, even as he demanded the urgent rescue of the remaining victims still in captivity.
The students, kidnapped on November 21, regained freedom following intensified operations coordinated between federal and state authorities.
Their return marks a significant step forward, though the President stressed that the rescue effort remains far from complete.
In a statement on Monday, President Tinubu expressed relief over the development and reaffirmed his directive that all abducted students and teachers, 115 of whom remain in captivity, must be brought home safely.
“I have been briefed on the safe return of 100 students from the Catholic School in Niger State. I rejoice with Governor Umar Bago and commend our security agencies for their steadfast work in ensuring the safe return of the students to their families since the unfortunate incident of November 21,” Tinubu said.
The President reiterated his uncompromising stance on the protection of schoolchildren, noting that the Federal Government will not relent until every victim is accounted for.
“My directive to our security forces remains that all the students and other abducted Nigerians across the country must be rescued and brought back home safely. We must account for all the victims,” he stated.
Tinubu assured parents and guardians that the Federal Government is working closely with Niger State to secure the release of the remaining captives, while accelerating efforts to strengthen school security nationwide.
“The Federal Government will continue to work with Niger State and other states to secure our schools and make the learning environment safer and more conducive for our young ones,” he said.
He further charged security agencies and state governments to adopt more proactive, coordinated strategies to prevent future attacks on schools, warning that no child should ever again be exposed to such danger.
“From now on, our security agencies, working with the governors, must prevent future kidnappings. Our children should no longer be sitting ducks for heartless terrorists intent on disrupting their education and subjecting them and their parents to unspeakable trauma,” Tinubu said.
The mass abduction had triggered widespread national concern and renewed calls for stronger protection of educational institutions, especially in states grappling with banditry and insurgent activity.
With the first group of students now reunited with their families, attention has shifted to ongoing operations aimed at rescuing those still held and bringing closure to an ordeal that has tested the resilience of families and communities across the region.
