Abducted Niger school victims alive, stable – Ribadu

Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser (NSA), has assured that students and staff abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwarra Local Government Area of Niger State, are alive, stable and will soon be reunited with their families.

Armed men had stormed the rural school on November 21, whisking away 315 people, 303 students and 12 teachers in one of the largest mass abductions recorded in recent years.

Days later, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state announced that 50 of the abducted students had managed to escape from captivity, raising hopes among anxious families.

Read also: Bandits abduct 24 farmers, maim blind man in fresh attacks on Niger communities

Ribadu, who led a federal government delegation on a solidarity visit to Bulus Yohanna, the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and proprietor of the school, said the government was fully committed to ensuring the safe return of the remaining victims.

The NSA told the bishop and community leaders that intelligence reports confirm the abductees are “doing fine” and would “be back soon.”

“This is a very solemn and difficult moment for us, especially after hearing from some of the parents and all of you. However, we take responsibility because it is our duty to protect you,” Ribadu said, according to a statement by the diocese.

He disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had ordered the visit, noting that the president personally halted an international trip after receiving updates on the abduction.

“President is in pain; he is in sorrow just like all of us. He stopped everything he was doing; he was supposed to travel but he suspended his journey,” Ribadu said.

The NSA vowed that the federal government would escalate security pressure on criminal networks responsible for kidnappings, terrorism and banditry, insisting that Nigeria had reached a turning point.

“Enough is enough. We will not be relentless in our efforts. We are all under attack. Let us not allow bad people to divide us; let us not allow evil to get into us,” he said.

Ribadu also disclosed that international partners were stepping up support for Nigeria’s counterterrorism operations.

“Many good people from all over the world are coming to support us, including the United States of America,” he said, adding that European countries like France and the United Kingdom had also intensified cooperation.

“The whole world is coming together to stop and defeat this evil which has been going on in Nigeria for two decades.”

Earlier, Yohanna expressed gratitude to Tinubu for prioritising the rescue efforts and presented copies of the diocese’s report on the incident to Ribadu before both men went into a closed-door meeting that lasted about 30 minutes.

Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date