Good news has come for Niger State and all of Nigeria. The last 130 schoolchildren and staff have been safely freed. They were taken from St Mary's Catholic school in Papiri. This is the end of a very sad kidnapping. No students are still being held after the first abduction in November.
About 100 children were let go earlier in December. Now, all the people taken are back with their families. We do not know all the details about how they were released. However, it seems the government helped quietly. A presidential spokesperson, Sunday Dare, said all pupils are safe. Nigerian leaders are calling this a great success and a moment of relief.
This kidnapping at St Mary's school shows a big security problem in Nigeria. The country has problems with armed groups in the northeast. There are also dangerous gangs in the northwest. These groups often kidnap many people. They do this for money or to cause fear. The St Mary's incident was very big. About 315 students and staff were taken at first. Some students escaped during the attack.
The freed students and staff are going to Minna. This is the capital city of Niger State. They should arrive soon. They will need medical checks and help for their feelings. This is important because of what they went through. They will need a lot of support to get better.
The government has done well to get all students back. However, the reasons for these kidnappings are still there. We often do not know how people are freed. This is sometimes for the safety of the people taken. But these events keep happening. We need better security plans. Leaders are working on this. A careful plan is needed to help with social and economic problems. It will also help prevent future kidnappings. The release of these 130 people is happy news. But it reminds us of Nigeria's security problems.