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President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, to immediately relocate to Kebbi State following the abduction of 25 schoolgirls by armed men.
According to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), the president’s directive is aimed at intensifying security efforts to secure the release of the students, who were kidnapped from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, a community in the state, at about 4 a.m. on Monday.
Matawalle, a former governor of Zamfara State, has been instructed to remain in Kebbi and coordinate rescue operations alongside security agencies. He is expected to arrive in Birnin Kebbi on Friday.
The minister’s experience in tackling banditry and mass abductions is considered crucial. During his tenure as Zamfara governor between 2019 and 2023, Matawalle confronted several large-scale kidnapping incidents. One of the most notable occurred on 26 February 2021, when 279 female students aged 10 to 17 were abducted from Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe. All the girls were freed on 2 March 2021.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has postponed his official trip to Johannesburg, South Africa, and Luanda, Angola. The presidency said the decision was made so the president could receive continuous security updates on the abducted Kebbi students as well as the deadly attack on worshippers at the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State.
Security operations are ongoing as anxiety heightens among parents and residents of the affected community. Authorities have yet to release further details on negotiations or rescue efforts.
