"The remaining 130 children and teachers abducted in November attended a ceremony in Papiri on Monday after their release, as officials reaffirmed commitments to school safety amid ongoing security concerns. Footage shows victims arriving at the State Government House as the Nigerian military escorted the pupils, as officials greeted them and posed for group photographs. Niger State Governor Umaru Bago dismissed questions over whether ransom was paid, insisting that how the children were recovered was a matter for the authorities. "I don't think it's very fair, you know, to the system, to the government, for you to ask whether money was used or not. The most important thing is that we have gotten people back, unhurt," he said. He also criticised the practice of enrolling very young children in boarding schools, saying the state would review the operations of the affected school and others operating under similar arrangements. Security official Major General Adamu Garba Laka added that measures will be implemented to restore confidence in the education system. "For education, it must not be a casualty of violence. We will continue to pursue policies [...] reopen schools safely, and ensure that the rights of every Nigerian child to learn in safety are upheld," he said. On November 21, hundreds of school children and a dozen teachers were abducted when armed men reportedly stormed Saint Mary's Catholic School in Nigeria's Papiri. In response, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a national security emergency due to a significant surge in armed violence, particularly mass abductions, across the country."