Niger State Governor Umaru Bago has clarified reports of a large-scale kidnapping in the Papiri area, describing the event as a panic-driven scare rather than an abduction. Speaking in a TVC News interview on November 22, 2025, the governor said initial reports had exaggerated the situation, which unfolded after armed men approached a school and fired sporadic shots.
Bago explained that students and residents fled in fear into nearby forests. “I think we were so quick to conclude it was an abduction or kidnapping. It was a scare,” he said, noting that more than 60 people had returned to their homes by the evening of the incident. He also stressed that there is no verified count of missing persons at this time, adding that security forces are actively working to ensure everyone is safe.
The governor revealed that the school had previously been closed due to threats. “The Irish priest, Father Donald Carter, was informed of potential attacks by bandits and left for Ireland. The school had been closed, but it was reopened without permission,” he said. Despite the confusion, Bago urged against assigning blame and focused on recovering children and residents safely.
Bago further addressed early claims of hundreds missing, calling them exaggerated. “It was too quick for anyone to say 303 people were missing or 350 people were missing. Right now, if we do the headcount, it’s far below that,” he stated. Vigilante groups and security personnel have already recovered several people who had fled into the forest, and authorities remain optimistic about a full recovery.
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