President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, to immediately relocate to Kebbi State following the abduction of 25 schoolgirls in the early hours of Monday.
The directive, issued on Thursday, mandates Matawalle to remain in the state and coordinate security operations aimed at rescuing the abducted students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, who were taken by gunmen around 4 a.m.
Matawalle, a former governor of Zamfara State, is expected to arrive in Birnin-Kebbi on Friday. His deployment is seen as a strategic move, drawing on his previous experience handling banditry and mass kidnappings during his tenure between 2019 and 2023.
In one of the most notable incidents under his administration, 279 female students aged 10 to 17 were abducted from Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe, on 26 February 2021. All hostages were released on 2 March 2021 after days of intense negotiation and security pressure.
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The President has also postponed his scheduled trips to Johannesburg, South Africa, and Luanda, Angola, as he awaits comprehensive security briefings on both the Kebbi schoolgirls’ abduction and the recent attack on worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State.
Tinubu reiterated his commitment to ensuring the safe return of the students and directed security agencies to intensify efforts to apprehend the perpetrators and prevent further attacks.
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