LAGOS DECEMBER 16TH (NEWSRANGERS)- Parents of the remaining 165 abducted pupils, students and staff of St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State are in agony, uncertain about the fate of their children still in the hands of bandits.
Last Tuesday, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, officially handed over 100 rescued victims from the bandits to the Niger State Government, and parents whose children were released heaved a sigh of relief. However, the same cannot be said for those whose children remain with the bandits.
The 100 victims rescued comprised 99 pupils/students and a teacher. While the efforts of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) were commended, families of the remaining 165 pupils, students and staff still in captivity continue to ask the question: “When will our children be rescued?”
That was the question on the lips of such parents when they gathered to witness the handing over of the 100 abductees to the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, owners of St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, following their release by the bandits last week.
The chairman of Agwara Local Government Area and Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Niger State, Hon Iliyasu Zakari, led a delegation of security agencies, government officials and development partners to the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora for the official presentation of the 100 rescued victims.
The chairman, who said there were ongoing efforts to secure the release of the remaining 165 victims, expressed happiness over the successful rescue of 100 of them.
He said, “Today is a day of hope for our people. We are grateful to God for the safe rescue of these 100 children. Our security teams and community members have worked day and night, and we appreciate their courage and sacrifice. We will not rest until every remaining child and staff member ate returned home safely.”
Zakari said the council would continue to work closely with the Niger State Government, security agencies and the Catholic Church to ensure the rescue of the remaining 165 abductees and lasting peace in the communities.
The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese, Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, said: “I stand before you to receive, confirm and announce the safe release of 100 children out of the 265 pupils and staff of St Mary’s Catholic Private School, Papiri, who were abducted on Friday, 21 November 2025.”
“We give all glory to Almighty God, whose mercy and compassion continue to sustain our hope and strengthen our faith during this difficult time,” he added.
Dauda Gwanja, one of the parents who could not hide his excitement over the schoolchildren’s release, said: “I cannot hold back my happiness when Father Ayuba called me this morning to come for my son.
“I am so happy to hear that my son is among the 100 rescued children. My wife is also very happy. I did not even force her to eat this morning, as I have done since the abduction of our son.”
Another parent, Emmanuel Agwara, qe
Woxfufsaid: “We really thank God. I am here for my child. The release of the 100 brings hope that all the children will eventually be freed.”
It was, however, not a happy moment for those whose children remain in captivity. John Isaac expressed his disappointment, saying: “When they were showing them, shaking hands with the governor, I could not see my son. I decided to come here with the hope that my son would be among those released, but it was not so.
“I am worried. I do not know what has happened that he was not among those released. Naturally, I should be worried, but I am hopeful based on the assurance given by the government that the children are safe and will be rescued unharmed. The question agitating our minds is: when will they come back?”
Expectedly, the abduction has taken a heavy toll on the parents of the pupils and students.
A parent, Kabukaya Ishaya, said: “It is a two-way situation for us now. The release of other people’s children has given us hope, but when you look at it deeply, you begin to ask why our own children were not rescued and when they will return.”
Another parent, Dauda Shekula, who has three children still with the bandits, said: “Immediately I discovered that none of my children was among the 100 released, I broke down in tears. I was scared and wondering what had happened to them.
“I am even more frightened because the released children told me they were sleeping on a swampy terrain with mosquitoes, drinking water from the mud and eating only tuwo and miyan kuka once a day.”
“The children also told us they were made to cook for themselves and hardly bathed. You can imagine the implications of such conditions for the health of children aged between seven and 10 years,” he added.
The fears expressed by Mallam Dauda were shared by most of the parents interviewed by LEADERSHIP Sunday, as they called on the government to expedite action on the rescue of the remaining children.
The parents said that, from what they gathered from the released abductees, the situation could severely affect the health of the children, in addition to the emotional and physical trauma they are enduring in the hands of the bandits.
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, however, promised that the remaining children would be rescued in the near future.
Bago appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, security agencies and other critical stakeholders for their efforts towards the rescue of the 100 schoolchildren.
He assured parents that the state government would sustain collaboration with the federal government and other relevant authorities to ensure the remaining children are rescued safely.
The governor specifically commended the parents and families of the kidnapped victims for their patience and resilience since the incident, and urged the parents of the 165 children yet to be rescued to continue to exercise patience.
“While we celebrate the return of the 100 children, let us sustain our efforts and prayers to God for the return of the rest of the children and their teachers, even as the state government continues to deepen its collaboration with the federal government, security agencies and all relevant stakeholders towards a safer society,” he said.
Leadership
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