Name: Nigeria: Teacher reunites with family as last captives are freed
Uploaded: 2025-12-25T15:59:40.191Z
Duration: 2 min
Description: Emmanuel Ibrahim, a social studies teacher at St. Mary’s School in Papiri is one of several hundred students and teachers who were abducted from the school, in Niger State, in an early morning attack in November

Emmanuel Ibrahim, a social studies teacher at St. Mary’s School in Papiri is one of several hundred students and teachers who were abducted from the school, in Niger State, in an early morning attack in November

Niger

Emmanuel Ibrahim, a social studies teacher at St. Mary's School in Papiri, Niger State, Nigeria, has reunited with his family after being held hostage for a month by kidnappers. He was among the last group of 130 students and teachers released, following the earlier release of 100 others who were abducted from the school.

Ibrahim described difficult conditions during captivity, including inadequate food and the death of a child due to harsh weather. Officials have not disclosed whether a ransom was paid, and no group has claimed responsibility, though local residents suspect armed gangs. Most of the abducted were children aged 10 to 17.

Nigeria: Teacher reunites with family as last captives are freed

In the courtyard of his family home, Emmanuel Ibrahim is welcomed by family members after spending a month being held hostage by kidnappers. Ibrahim is a social studies teacher at St. Mary's School in Papiri. He described harrowing conditions with kidnappers, who he referred to as terrorists. Actually, as I said earlier, there's more children and women than men. And most especially the children, many of them are in a very bad condition. There's one of these child that's lost his life over there due to the weather and even the feeding. They are not feeding well. So one fateful day like that, he just woke up and discovered that the child is no longer alive. So it's among the terrorists that picked the child and went their way to bury the child over there. Ibrahim is among the 130 students and teachers who were released Sunday. The last of the group that remained in captivity after 100 were released earlier this month. Officials did not say whether a ransom, common in such abductions, had been paid. No group has claimed responsibility, but residents blamed armed gangs that target schools and travellers in kidnappings for ransom. Actually, I'm so, so happy because in my expectation, I was not expecting if I would have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas with my family. As God may have it, all of a sudden, I'm just seeing it as a dream for me to just wake up and realise I'm with my family, with everyone. I'm so happy, I'm so excited. School kidnappings have come to define insecurity in Africa's most populous country. Most of those seized in the attack were aged between 10 and 17, the school said.

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