The remaining 115 children abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger State, have been released, concluding a month-long hostage ordeal.
Their freedom follows the earlier release of 100 pupils two weeks prior.
The mass kidnapping occurred on November 21, 2025, when armed bandits raided the remote school community around 2:00 a.m.
The attackers initially seized 303 students and 12 teachers, holding them captive for nearly three hours before departing.
Approximately 50 pupils managed to escape within the first day.
The latest group was freed on Friday evening in a forest spanning the Agwara and Borgu local government areas.
Security personnel from the Office of the National Security Adviser have been deployed to evacuate the children under heavy guard.
This final release came after intensive negotiations between the government and the terrorists, though it remains unconfirmed whether a ransom was paid.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
