PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has applauded security agencies for the rescue of 100 abducted students of Papiri Catholic School in Niger State.
In a statement on Monday, December 8, by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga,Tinubu expressed joy over the safe return of the children, who were kidnapped on November 21, and saluted the efforts of Governor Umar Bago and security operatives for their “steadfast work.”
The ICIR reported that armed bandits rode into the remote community around 2:00 a.m. and spent about three hours moving through the school dormitories. A total of 315 people were reportedly taken, that is 303 students and 12 teachers.
Security personnel and local hunters launched a search operation across the surrounding forests to track down the gunmen. Within the first 24 hours, 50 students successfully fled from their abductors and were safely reunited with their families.
Despite this, 265 others, comprising 253 children, and 12 teachers were held by the gunmen. The ICIR reported how the children’s family and the entire Papiri community have been in tears over the incident.
While celebrating the rescue, Tinubu directed security agencies to intensify operations for the immediate release of the remaining 115 students and their teachers who are still being held hostage.
He also assured parents that the federal and Niger State governments were working closely to reunite every abducted child with their family.
The president further ordered security agencies and governors to prevent future school kidnappings, insisting that Nigerian children “should no longer be sitting ducks for heartless terrorists.”
“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. 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.
“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.
Meanwhile, the rescue operation has drawn commendation from a visiting US Congressional delegation, which met with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
In a statement after the meeting, Congress member Riley M. Moore described the conversation as “productive and positive,” emphasising that the delegation discussed concrete actions that could significantly strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture if the discussions were fully executed.
According to the delegation, the US is particularly concerned about terrorist attacks in the North-East and the killing of Christians in parts of the Middle Belt.
The lawmaker welcomed the rescue of the Papiri schoolchildren, calling it “a positive demonstration of the government’s increasing response to the security situation” and evidence of Tinubu’s commitment to his emergency security declaration.
He also highlighted the establishment of a US–Nigeria joint task force as a sign that a stronger cooperative security framework was “within sight,” noting that Nigeria had shown openness and willingness to work with the United States to tackle shared concerns.
“It is clear that there is an openness and willingness on the part of the Nigerian government to work with the United States to tackle these critical issues. Now, that openness has to translate to concrete action.
“There is much work still to be done, but things are moving in the right direction. I look forward to the next steps with Nigerian government and the continued open dialogue,” he added.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M