Tinubu orders immediate rescue of 25 abducted Kebbi schoolgirls

By Johnson Arua

President Bola Tinubu has ordered security and intelligence agencies to launch an immediate operation to rescue the 25 female students abducted from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in the Danko-Wasagu area of Kebbi State.

Gunmen stormed the school in the early hours of Monday, killing the Vice Principal, Hassan Makuku, and injuring a security guard, Ali Shehu, who sustained gunshot wounds to his right hand.

Kebbi Police Command spokesperson, Nafi’u Kotarkoshi, confirmed the attack and said a full-scale manhunt for the perpetrators was already in progress.

In a statement issued on Monday, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said President Tinubu strongly condemned the “reprehensible attack” and restated his administration’s commitment to protecting all citizens, especially schoolchildren.

“President Bola Tinubu has reiterated that protecting every Nigerian, especially schoolchildren, remains a solemn responsibility of the State. The government condemns the attack on innocent students and the killing of school officials who were carrying out their noble duty.”

The Minister added that the President had given “clear directives” to security and intelligence agencies to locate and safely recover the abducted students, stressing that the attackers must be brought to justice. “The Federal Government will not relent until this objective is achieved,” he added.

Idris further assured that internal security remains a top priority for the Tinubu administration, which is currently recalibrating the country’s military, policing, and intelligence architecture to better prevent and respond to such incidents.

He also noted that Nigeria is deepening security cooperation with ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to strengthen border protection and dismantle terrorist and criminal networks across the region.

“We urge the public to remain calm and confident as security forces work around the clock to resolve this matter,” Idris said.