Tinubu orders a decisive security push, directing Bello Matawalle to Kebbi to lead rescue efforts for abducted schoolgirls
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday ordered a decisive security push as he directed Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle to relocate to Kebbi State to coordinate rescue operations for the schoolgirls abducted earlier in the week.
Also read: Tinubu Halts Trip as Kebbi Abductions Trigger Urgent Action
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga said Matawalle, a former Zamfara governor, had been told to remain in the state to supervise efforts by the military, police and other agencies.
A Presidency official added that the directive was designed to draw on Matawalle’s experience handling mass abductions during Zamfara’s security crises between 2019 and 2023.
Gunmen had stormed Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town in the early hours of Monday, seizing at least 24 students after firing shots and forcing them into the surrounding bush.
Kebbi State authorities said the attackers arrived around 4:00 a.m., overwhelming security presence before fleeing with the girls.
Tinubu, who has postponed official trips to Johannesburg and Luanda as pressure mounts over the Kebbi incident and a recent church attack in Kwara State, is receiving continuous security briefings.
Onanuga confirmed that the President wanted updates on both crises before rescheduling travel plans.
In Kebbi, a delegation of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, visited Governor Nasir Idris to express solidarity.
Uzodimma described the abduction as shocking and deeply inhumane, saying the governors would support federal authorities with logistical and network assistance to ensure the girls’ safe return.
Governor Idris said the attack had traumatised families across the state but voiced confidence in the ongoing rescue mission.
He noted that Vice President Kashim Shettima had earlier conveyed Tinubu’s message of hope and firm commitment to securing the release of the children.
Parents in Maga told reporters that the abducted girls were sighted in a nearby forest, though police spokesman CSP Nafiu Abubakar said the command had not confirmed the information.
Governor Idris’s Special Adviser on Strategy and Communication Abdullahi Idris added that no ransom demand had been received.
The community is preparing for a large prayer session on Friday, with District Head Muhammad Dantani saying residents felt spiritually compelled to seek divine intervention. Similar gatherings were held in Zuru as anxiety intensified over the children’s safety.
Monday’s attack occurred barely an hour after security personnel previously deployed to protect the school were reportedly withdrawn, a development community leaders believe exposed a dangerous weakness.
Also read: Kebbi religious leaders urge Tinubu to call national prayer
The incident adds to a long and painful list of school kidnappings in northern Nigeria since the 2014 Chibok abduction, leaving residents determined yet fearful as rescue efforts continue.
