Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, on Wednesday described the incident at St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area as an “unfortunate abduction,” assuring residents of his administration’s commitment to rescuing the missing children and teachers.

His remarks came 12 days after armed bandits raided the boarding school on November 21, leading to the disappearance of more than 200 pupils, students, and staff.

Speaking at an executive retreat for commissioners-designate, chairman-elect, deputies, special advisers, and permanent secretaries in Minna, Bago condemned the attack and expressed sympathy for the affected families.

“The unfortunate abduction of school children and teachers at St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government is highly condemnable and has left our state deeply worried.

“As the chief security officer of the state and a parent myself, I feel the pain of every mother and father anxiously waiting for their children to return home,” he said.

He added that his administration remained committed to the safety of the children and to ensuring the security of lives and property across the state.

Bago’s comments mark a departure from his earlier stance. Following the incident, he had denied that an abduction occurred, insisting that bandits merely fired sporadic shots to scare students, who then fled into the nearby bush.

He also suggested that the number of missing individuals was lower than the figures provided by other sources, including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

CAN, however, countered the governor’s claims, stating that at least 253 children and 12 staff members remained in captivity and denying receiving any prior warnings from the government about possible attacks.

Parents have also criticised Bago’s initial position, arguing that his description of the incident as involving “missing persons” downplayed their ordeal. Bulus Duchi, whose three children are still unaccounted for, lamented that no government officials had visited Papiri or Agwara to commiserate with affected families or provide updates.

“We heard the Governor went to New Bussa to see the Emir. Is New Bussa Papiri or Agwara? He did not even sympathise with us enough to identify with us in our period of pain,” Duchi had said to The Nation Reporter who visited the affected parents at Papiri.

The governor’s Wednesday address did not reference his prior comments or address the parents’ grievances directly, focusing instead on broader governance themes during the retreat, including leadership capacity, strategic planning, and the state’s agro-industrial development goals.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Comrade Yakubu Garba, said that the Executive Council is one of the strongest pillars of governance on which the state relies for its ability to deliver on policy formulations, implementation, and monitoring.

“Therefore, the Commissioners and other members of the Council need to be given the requisite training and exposure for them to function optimally in executing Council decisions in their various Ministries. This Executive Retreat is not just another event on the government calendar. It is a moment of reflection, planning, and strategic alignment with renewed vigour for our shared commitment towards achieving the New Niger vision.”

He stated that the retreat will focus on strengthening leadership capacity, strategic planning, fiscal discipline, people-centred service delivery, and performance evaluation, as every decision made by the government must reflect prudence, inclusivity, equity, and a strong drive for impact.

“Let me emphasise this clearly: positions are responsibilities, therefore accountability is key. Public office is a trust, and our performance will be measured by visible progress in citizens’ daily lives, fostering a sense of responsibility and motivation. We must work assiduously as one family, united by a common goal, to build a prosperous New Niger.

“As public officials, we must lead by example, in discipline, transparency, and obedience to the Rule of Law. Let our actions reflect humility, empathy, and respect for the people we serve.”

The Governor then appealed to the Commissioners-designates and Chairmen-elects to work hard to be successful in all they do, “You will carry the cross of your success, or your failure, in your portfolio. But I am concerned, your failure is our concern because it is going to affect the governance.”

He cautioned the Permanent Secretaries against working in silos, stressing the need for them to know who is in the driver of the ministry and the need for them to cooperate with the Commissioners.

“Again, I want to add, no matter how sound a vehicle is, without a good driver, it can only remain a body. This is my observation. Permanent secretaries should not be carried away. No matter how sound you are, Commissioners remain the drivers. We appreciate you for making administration seamless, for good time management, and for quick administration and jobs. However, commissioners have been appointed; they are the drivers. Please work in sync so that we can make administration seamless.”

The eight-day retreat is expected to have 30 facilitators who would take the participants through different aspects of governance. (The Nation)