Vice President Kashim Shettima is visiting Kebbi State today to deliver the Federal Government’s solidarity message and reassure families of the schoolgirls abducted from Government Girls’ Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, in Danko-Wasagu LGA.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has renewed his directive to security agencies to act decisively and rescue the abducted pupils without delay. In a statement issued by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, the President said he had received detailed briefings from military authorities on both the Kebbi abduction and the separate killing of soldiers in Borno State.
Describing the loss of Brigadier-General Musa Uba and other troops as heartbreaking, Tinubu extended his condolences to their families and condemned the attack on the school as a cruel disruption of young girls’ education.
He commended Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris for attempting to prevent the assault despite earlier intelligence reports warning of bandit activity. The President also urged communities in vulnerable regions to actively support security agencies with timely information, stressing that collaboration is essential to defeating criminal elements.
Meanwhile, condemnation continues to trail the killing of the school’s vice principal and the abduction of 25 pupils. Lawmakers, state governors, UNICEF, the First Lady, and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) have all called for urgent action to stem rising attacks on schools and security personnel.
During an operational visit to Kebbi, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu ordered troops under Operation Fasin Yamma to intensify search-and-rescue efforts. “We must find these children. Success is not optional,” he told field commanders. He also met with vigilantes and local hunters, encouraging deeper collaboration to leverage their knowledge of the terrain.
First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu described the attack as a painful assault on national values of safety, learning, and human dignity. She offered prayers for the affected families and affirmed the President’s directive for the swift rescue of the children.
At the Senate, lawmakers observed a minute of silence for the slain vice principal and Brig.-Gen. Uba. Following a motion by former Senate Leader Yahaya Abdullahi, the chamber urged security agencies to expedite the rescue mission and set up an ad hoc committee to review the implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative. Senators also called for the recruitment of an additional 100,000 security personnel to bolster the fight against terrorism.
Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda described the abduction as “the worst form of criminality,” while Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu demanded the immediate rescue of the pupils.
UNICEF reiterated that no child should face the risk of death or abduction in pursuit of education, emphasizing the need to protect schools under international law.
The NBA warned that Nigeria is grappling with “a growing culture of brazen violence” and urged the Federal Government to embark on a time-bound rescue operation, investigate security lapses, prosecute terrorism financiers, and fully implement the Safe Schools Initiative.
NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN) stressed that the matter concerns leadership, justice, and the soul of the nation, warning that delay only emboldens attackers.
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