Nigeria has rescued 100 schoolchildren abducted last month from a Catholic school in Niger state, marking one of the country’s biggest mass recoveries in recent years.
But even as the children were received by state officials on Monday, many parents remained in distress, unsure whether their own sons or daughters were among those freed.
The abducted students arrived at the Niger State Government House in Minna, where they were formally handed over to the state governor. President Bola Tinubu welcomed the development and reaffirmed his directive to security forces to ensure every abducted Nigerian is safely returned.
“We must account for all the victims,” Tinubu said, stressing that no kidnapped child should be left behind.
The government has not disclosed how the children were rescued, and it remains unclear whether they were freed through negotiations, ransom payments, or a security operation.
One of the rescued pupils, Florence Michael, recounted sleeping on a tarpaulin in the forest and being warned not to make noise.
“They gave us tarpaulin… that we should lie down and sleep, that we should not make noise for them,” she said.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said more than 300 pupils and 12 staff were abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri village on Nov. 21. Fifty children managed to escape earlier, meaning many are still missing.
After the rescue announcement, anxious parents rushed for answers but said authorities had provided little information. Some of the abducted children are as young as six.
One parent told Reuters: “Nobody has contacted me, but I'm desperate to know if my daughter is among the rescued students.”
The lack of clarity has deepened frustration in communities already grappling with years of worsening insecurity.
The mass abduction has renewed public anger over the deteriorating security situation in northern Nigeria, where armed gangs routinely target schools for ransom. Kidnappings have surged since Boko Haram militants abducted 276 girls in Chibok in 2014, an attack that shocked the world.
Tinubu condemned the latest abduction and vowed stronger preventive measures.
“Our children should no longer be sitting ducks for heartless terrorists,” he said, adding that hundreds of schools have been forced to close due to repeated threats.
A U.S. congressional delegation was in Nigeria on Monday, meeting with government and church leaders. Their visit follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning last month of potential military action over the treatment of Christians in the country.
Congressman Riley Moore praised the rescue and said discussions focused on strengthening security cooperation. He announced that Nigeria and the United States will form a joint task force to help combat armed groups.
Moore said he held “productive and positive” talks with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and expressed confidence in plans to dismantle terrorist networks in northeastern Nigeria.
