Nigerian government frees 130 kidnapped Catholic schoolchildrenListen to this articleIt is unclear who kidnapped the hundreds of children and staff from St Mary's school in Niger state, NigeriaABUJA - Nigerian authorities have secured the release of 130 kidnapped schoolchildren taken by gunmen from a Catholic school in November, a presidential spokesman said Sunday, after 100 were freed earlier this month. "Another 130 abducted Niger state pupils released, none left in captivity," Sunday Dare said in a post on X. In late November, hundreds of students and staff were kidnapped from St Mary's co-educational boarding school in north-central Niger state -- though the exact number, and whether all are free, has been in dispute. A UN source told AFP that "the remaining set of girls/secondary school students will be taken to Minna", the capital of Niger state, on Tuesday. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said 315 students and staff were kidnapped.

Source: Bangkok Post December 21, 2025 23:04 UTC