President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially welcomed the confirmed release of 100 pupils abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, but has issued a stern directive to security and intelligence chiefs to intensify efforts for the immediate and unconditional release of the remaining students and teachers still held captive.
The statement, issued this evening by the Presidency, marks the first formal acknowledgement of the release from the highest level of government, resolving the earlier confusion reported by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the school authorities.
The President’s reaction focuses on both celebrating the partial success and accelerating the efforts to free the others.
He expressed immense relief at the safe return of the 100 pupils, praising the professionalism of the security agencies and state authorities involved in the successful operation. He commended them for maintaining operational silence until the children were safely out of the forest.
The President’s directive also remains clear and non-negotiable: all security heads, including the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the newly appointed Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), must employ all available resources to ensure the remaining 153 students and 12 teachers are rescued without delay.
Notably, the official statement subtly reinforced the government’s tough stance against paying ransoms, suggesting the release was achieved through a combination of intelligence, kinetic pressure, and negotiation.
Furthermore, the official presidential statement resolves the communication lapse noted in earlier reports.
The delay in official notification to local leaders and the school proprietorship was reportedly due to the highly sensitive nature of the operation, which required strict secrecy until the children underwent necessary medical evaluation and debriefing at a secure military facility.
The children have since been transported to Minna, the state capital, where they will undergo comprehensive psycho-social support before being reunited with their families.
The government’s focus now shifts entirely to the hundreds of individuals still held, with the President making it clear that the security operation will not be scaled back until the last hostage is released.
