Nigeria has secured the release of 100 schoolchildren abducted last month from a Catholic school in Niger state, the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said on Monday, marking a major development in one of the country’s largest mass kidnappings in recent years.
The rescue follows weeks of uncertainty for families after armed men stormed St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri village on November 21, seizing more than 300 pupils and a dozen staff members.
Authorities have not yet issued a public statement detailing how the children were freed—whether through negotiations, ransom payments, or a coordinated security operation.
For many parents, the sudden announcement deepened their desperation.
“I only saw the news online,” said Yunusa Kabukaya, whose 11-year-old daughter, Magret, was among those kidnapped. “No one has contacted me, but I’m praying she is among the rescued students.”
Kabukaya said he was preparing for a seven-hour journey to the state capital, Minna, where the children were expected to arrive later on Monday before being handed over to church and school officials.
Another parent, Dauda Gwanja, whose 15-year-old son remains missing, said the past weeks had devastated his family.
“We just heard that 100 students were rescued. We don’t know if our child is one of them,” he said. “My wife has refused to eat since the abduction.”
About 50 children managed to escape the attackers shortly after the kidnapping. Until Monday’s announcement, authorities had provided no updates on the remaining students, leaving more than 150 children unaccounted for.
CAN spokesperson Daniel Atori confirmed the rescue and said officials had verified the number with security authorities.
The mass abduction has intensified national concern over worsening security in northern Nigeria, where armed groups frequently target schools for ransom.
Kidnappings surged after Boko Haram militants abducted 276 girls from Chibok in 2014, prompting a wave of similar attacks by criminal gangs and jihadist factions. According to Reuters, hundreds of students have been taken in separate incidents across Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, and Niger state over the past several years.
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The rescue coincided with a visit from a U.S. congressional delegation, which met Nigerian government and church leaders on Monday.
Rep. Riley Moore, part of the visiting group, welcomed the news of the children’s release and said discussions focused on strengthening cooperation on security and religious freedom. He confirmed that Nigeria and the United States would establish a joint security task force aimed at improving responses to extremist violence and mass abductions.
The visit follows comments last month by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who threatened possible military action over the treatment of Christians in Nigeria—remarks that sparked diplomatic tension.