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BREAKING: Federal Government Secures Release of 100 Abducted Schoolchildren in Niger State
The Federal Government has successfully secured the release of 100 primary and secondary school pupils who were abducted by armed bandits from the Apostolic Faith Group of Schools in Kunnu, Kagara area of Niger State on Thursday, 4 December 2025.
The children – comprising 68 primary school pupils and 32 junior secondary students – were freed in the early hours of Sunday following sustained military and security operations coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the Niger State Government and local community leaders.
A senior presidency source confirmed to journalists in Abuja that no ransom was paid for the release of the victims, describing the operation as “a decisive victory for the ongoing campaign against terrorism and banditry in the North-West and North-Central zones.
”The source added: “Through a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic measures, including intense pressure from ground troops of Operation Whirl Punch and intelligence-led engagements, the abductors were forced to release the children unharmed.
All 100 students have been accounted for and are currently undergoing medical checks and debriefing at a secure military facility in Minna.
”The students were kidnapped in a dawn raid on the mission school last Thursday when over 50 heavily armed gunmen stormed the premises, overpowered the guards, and herded the pupils into waiting vehicles before fleeing into the vast Kunnu forest spanning Niger and Kaduna states.
The incident had triggered widespread national outrage and renewed calls for decisive action against the escalating wave of school abductions in northern Nigeria.
Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, who personally received the freed children alongside the Emir of Kagara, Alhaji Salihu Tanko, praised the Federal Government and security forces for their swift response.“I am overjoyed to see our children back alive and in good health.
This is a testament that when all tiers of government and our traditional institutions work together with the security agencies, we can defeat these criminals,” Governor Bago said.
Parents and relatives who had camped at the school premises since Thursday broke into jubilation as the first batch of the rescued pupils arrived under heavy military escort on Sunday afternoon.
The Apostolic Faith Church, which runs the school, issued a brief statement thanking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the armed forces, and all Nigerians for their prayers and support.
Mop-up operations are still ongoing in the forest to apprehend the fleeing abductors and prevent further attacks during the festive season.
This latest mass rescue comes barely two weeks after 28 students of the Federal College of Agriculture, Bakura, Zamfara State, regained freedom, bringing the total number of schoolchildren freed by security forces in the past one month to over 220.
The Federal Government has reiterated its zero-tolerance policy on ransom payments and vowed to sustain the current momentum until every abducted citizen is brought home safely.
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NNPCL Faults NISO’s Claim of No Gas To Power Generating Plants
It, however, maintained that gas production had increased by about 10 per cent in 2026 so far, as the company pursued the Federal Government’s gas development and monetisation agenda.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has dismissed claims by the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) blaming the nationwide power supply outages on partly to limited gas availability and reduced water inflows to hydroelectric power stations.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Andy Odeh, NNPC said that its pipelines remain available to deliver gas to power plants across the country.
The national oil company said its operational records did not indicate any transportation-related constraints within the network operated by its subsidiary, NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company Limited, that could explain the current drop in power generation.
It, however, maintained that gas production had increased by about 10 per cent in 2026 so far, as the company pursued the Federal Government’s gas development and monetisation agenda.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday stormed an illegal Chinese-operated refinery in Ogere-Remo, Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The joint operation followed intelligence reports that revealed a well-fenced but crude yet technically sophisticated facility occupying more than three hectares of land.
During the inspection, officials observed underground tanks believed to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil, refining waste products, and substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), popularly known as diesel. NMDPRA officials immediately sealed the facility.
Ogun State Coordinator of NMDPRA, Dr. Atilola Akinyemi, described the plant as a complete illegality operating without any permit from regulatory authorities.
“The underground storage facility behind the site has an estimated capacity of more than 90,000 litres, complete with underground heating systems, water hydrants for cooling, locally fabricated tanks and silos for separation,” Akinyemi told journalists.
He warned that if such adulterated products entered the market, they would pose serious risks to vehicles and engines. All recovered products have been confiscated by the Federal Government.
Director of the Department of Proceeds of Crime Management at the EFCC, Gbolahan Latona, stressed the need for collective patriotism in tackling economic crimes.
“Upon conclusion of investigation, the suspects will have their day in court and the proceeds of crime will be put to meaningful use,” Latona said.
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Sanusi: Critics Are Not Enemies Of The Govt
” It’s not every time people talk about poverty or talk about difficulty that they’re just enemies of the government or making an attack on the president. That is not how to respond to economic distress,” he said.
The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, has advised the Federal Government against treating every comment about the administration as an attack on President Bola Tinubu.
The royal father gave the advise on the occasion of the Oxford Global Think Tank Leadership Conference, organised by the Oxford Global Think Tan.
Speaking virtually to the audience at the event, on Tuesday, Sanusi advised the government to tolerate constructive criticism.
“It’s not every time people talk about poverty or talk about difficulty that they’re just enemies of the government or making an attack on the president. That is not how to respond to economic distress,” he said.
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