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The Senate has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to authorise the urgent recruitment of at least 100,000 additional personnel into the Nigerian Armed Forces in response to worsening insecurity. The resolution was triggered by a motion of urgent national importance tabled by Senator Abdullahi Yahaya of Kebbi North, who detailed the recent attack on a girls’ secondary school in Kebbi South in which terrorists abducted 25 students and injured the school’s principal.
Senator Yahaya expressed deep concern over the repeated assaults on schools, warning that such incidents not only endanger citizens but also discourage girls from pursuing education. He cited a similar 2022 abduction from another government school in the state, lamenting that it took four years to rescue the victims. He urged security agencies to immediately locate the perpetrators and called on President Tinubu to ensure they are brought to justice without delay.
Lawmakers voiced outrage at the attack, questioning the effectiveness of funds allocated to securing educational institutions. Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the recurring abductions as a disturbing trend, recalling the 2014 Chibok kidnapping. He cautioned that the latest incidents come at a time when Nigeria’s security situation is under close international scrutiny. Akpabio also noted that the country’s vast size and limited personnel make comprehensive security coverage difficult, stressing that even developed nations face crime. He expressed sympathy for the victims and their families.
The Senate established an ad hoc committee, which includes the Committee on Finance, to investigate the funding and implementation of the Safe School Initiative. A minute of silence was observed in memory of the school’s vice-principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, who was killed while attempting to protect students.
The attack occurred on Sunday night at the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in the Maga community of Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area. The gunmen killed the vice-principal before abducting multiple students.
The Federal Government has condemned the incident, with the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announcing that security and intelligence agencies had been directed to locate and rescue the abducted girls and bring the attackers to justice. He conveyed the government’s concern and solidarity with the affected families, stressing that President Tinubu considers the protection of all citizens, especially schoolchildren, a solemn duty.
Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris has also reassured parents that efforts are underway to secure the safe return of their children.
