Following the abduction of an undisclosed number of students in Papiri, Agwara LGA of Niger State, the police have confirmed the deployment of tactical operatives from both the Police Force and the Military to begin rescue operations.
The incident occurred at around 2:00 a.m. on Friday at St. Mary’s Secondary School, when gunmen broke into the hostel and abducted students while they were asleep.
In a Friday statement, the Command Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, said the operatives have been deployed to comb the forests in a bid to rescue the victims. He added that efforts are ongoing to determine the exact number of students taken from the school hostel.
The statement reads, “The Niger State Police Command wishes to confirm that on 21st November, 2025, at about 2.00 am, a report received indicated that some armed bandits invaded St. Mary’s Private (Catholic) Secondary School, Papiri Agwara LGA and abducted a yet to be ascertained number of students from the School’s hostel.
“However, Police tactical units, military components and other security agencies have moved to the scene, combing the forests with a view to rescuing the abducted students.”
The Commissioner of Police, Adamu Elleman, assured the public that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the students are rescued unharmed. He urged residents to remain calm and support security efforts.
Elleman added that the incident will be thoroughly investigated and that the school management will face appropriate action for violating the state government directive ordering the closure of schools in the area due to security concerns.
He further reaffirmed the command’s commitment to restoring safety and bringing the perpetrators to justice.
