President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to relocate to Kebbi State to coordinate security operations for the rescue of schoolgirls abducted earlier in the week.
‘Matawalle, who was formerly Governor of Zamfara State, was asked to remain in the state to monitor security efforts to secure the release of the abducted students’, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, revealed is in a statement Thursday night.
Gunmen had, in the early hours of Monday, invaded Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town, Kebbi State, and kidnapped at least 24 students.
The Kebbi State government said the attackers arrived around 4:00 a.m., shooting sporadically before herding the girls into the bush.
A Presidency official told The PUNCH that Matawalle is expected in Birnin Kebbi where he will lead ‘on-the-ground coordination’ with the military, police and other security agencies already deployed in the affected area.
According to the official, the directive is meant to leverage Matawalle’s experience dealing with mass abductions during his tenure as Zamfara governor between 2019 and 2023, when the North-West grappled with a wave of school kidnappings.
On 26 February 2021, bandits abducted 279 female students of Government Girls’ Science Secondary School, Jangebe, in Zamfara State.
The girls, aged between 10 and 17, were freed days later after negotiations that involved federal and state actors.
President Tinubu, who has been under pressure since the Kebbi abductions and the attack on a Church in Kwara State, also postponed his scheduled trips to Johannesburg, South Africa, and Luanda, Angola, to receive continuous briefings on the development.
‘The President had postponed his scheduled trip as he awaited further security briefings on the kidnapped Kebbi schoolgirls and the attack on Christ Apostolic Church worshippers in Eruku, Kwara State’, the statement read in part.
The latest kidnap adds to a long list of assaults on schools since the 2014 abduction of 276 girls from Chibok, Borno State, which drew global outrage.
APC governors visit
Meanwhile, a delegation of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, on Thursday paid a sympathy visit to Kebbi State Governor, Dr Nasir Idris, over the abduction of 25 pupils of the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area.
Bandits had invaded the school on Monday night, killing a security guard before whisking away the students.
The delegation, led by PGF Chairman and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, described the abduction as shocking and “deeply inhumane,” noting that such brutality was alien to Nigeria’s cultural and moral values.
Uzodimma said the APC governors would continue to support President Bola Tinubu and security agencies in efforts to curb insecurity nationwide, adding that the incident was a collective wound on the country.
‘An injury to one is an injury to all’, he said, reassuring that the governors were ready to provide logistical and network support to ensure the arrest of the perpetrators and the safe return of the girls.
Responding, Governor Idris described the visit as significant and reassuring.
He said the attack had traumatised families and the entire state, but expressed confidence in the ongoing rescue efforts.
He disclosed that Vice President Kashim Shettima had earlier visited the state to convey President Tinubu’s message of hope and firm commitment to securing the release of the abducted children.
Members of the PGF delegation included the Governors of Benue, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia; Kogi, Ahmed Ododo; Ondo, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; Jigawa, Mallam Umar Namadi; and the Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, Dr Emmanuel Akabe.
Meanwhile, the Maga community will, on Friday, hold a special prayer session seeking divine intervention for the safe return of the schoolgirls.
The District Head of Maga, Muhammad Dantani, confirmed the development to The PUNCH, saying the community remained deeply shaken and had resorted to spiritual supplication.
‘We have decided to gather on Friday for a special prayer for the safe return of our daughters. The whole community is traumatised, and we believe prayer is our strongest weapon at this moment’, Dantani said.
The attack occurred barely an hour after security personnel earlier deployed to guard the school were reportedly withdrawn—a development parents and community leaders say may have exposed the vulnerability exploited by the attackers.
The abduction adds to the growing list of school kidnappings in northern Nigeria since the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ incident. Kebbi has previously recorded similar attacks in Yauri and other communities, leaving parents in persistent fear.
Residents of Maga have been holding nightly gatherings to comfort affected families and urge authorities to act swiftly.
Friday’s special prayer, expected to draw clerics, traditional rulers, political leaders and residents, will also include intercessions for peace and security across the region.
A similar prayer session was held in Zuru on Wednesday and Thursday as anxiety continues to build over the girls’ safety.
Governor Idris has assured that all resources are being mobilised, with support from the Federal Government, to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted students.
