JUST-IN: NSA Ribadu Meets CAN Leaders, Parents Of Abducted Niger Schoolchildren 

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has held a strategic engagement with the chairman of the Niger State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), as well as staff and parents of abducted pupils of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, in Agwarra local government area of the State.

The meeting, held in the wake of nationwide outrage over the abduction, focused on ongoing rescue efforts and coordination between security agencies and local stakeholders to secure the release of the kidnap victims.

Recall that on November 21, gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, abducting over 300 pupils and 12 teachers in a pre-dawn raid that sent shockwaves across the country. The attack came just days after 26 schoolgirls were kidnapped in the neighbouring of Kebbi State.

According to CAN, 215 students and 12 staff members were taken during the attack, while about 50 students escaped after two days in captivity and have since reunited with their parents.

Meanwhile, parents of the abducted students staged a peaceful protest on Saturday at the school premises, accusing the government of negligence and a slow response to the tragedy, eight days after the abduction..

The abduction in Niger State marked one of the largest mass kidnappings in recent years, rekindling fears over the safety of schools in northern Nigeria and drawing parallels to the 2014 Chibok and 2018 Dapchi school abductions.