President Bola Tinubu has directed Nigeria’s security agencies to immediately rescue the 25 female students who were abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in the Danko-Wasagu area of Kebbi State.
The school was attacked by gunmen in the early hours of Monday, resulting in the death of the Vice Principal, Hassan Makuku, and leaving a security guard, Ali Shehu, injured with gunshot wounds to his right hand.
In a statement released on Monday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, confirmed that President Tinubu strongly condemned the attack and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting all citizens, particularly schoolchildren.
The Minister conveyed the President’s firm stance: “President Bola Tinubu has reiterated that protecting every Nigerian, especially schoolchildren, remains a solemn responsibility of the State. The government condemns the reprehensible attack on innocent students and the killing of school officials who were carrying out their noble duty.”
Idris added that the President issued “clear directives” to security and intelligence agencies to locate and safely recover the abducted students, alongside a firm charge that the perpetrators must be brought to justice.
“The Federal Government will not relent until this objective is achieved,” the Minister noted.
Idris further assured the public that internal security remains a top priority for the Tinubu administration, which is “recalibrating the nation’s military, policing, and intelligence capabilities” to prevent and swiftly respond to such attacks.
He stated that Nigeria is also deepening security cooperation through ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to strengthen border security and dismantle terrorist and criminal networks.
The Minister appealed for calm: “We urge the public to remain calm and confident as security forces work around the clock to resolve this matter.”
Confirming the incident earlier, Kebbi police spokesperson, Nafi’u Kotarkoshi, said a manhunt for the attackers was already underway.
