Tinubu deploys defence minister to Kebbi as search for abducted schoolgirls intensifies

Story by Okafor Vivian 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to urgently relocate to Kebbi State to oversee and fast-track the rescue operation for the 25 schoolgirls abducted earlier in the week.

The attack occurred in the early hours of Monday when armed men stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Danko-Wasagu LGA, taking the students away in another troubling incident targeting schools in northern Nigeria.

The President’s directive was announced on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who noted that Matawalle is expected to remain in Kebbi until the rescue efforts are completed.

READ ALSO: Shettima heads to Kebbi on Tinubu’s orders to support families of abducted schoolgirls

A former governor of Zamfara State, Matawalle is being deployed with the expectation that his experience handling widespread banditry and mass abductions between 2019 and 2023 will bolster ongoing rescue operations. One of the major incidents under his governorship was the abduction of 279 female students from Jangebe on February 26, 2021, all of whom were released on March 2.

President Tinubu, who is receiving regular security briefings, has also postponed scheduled official trips to South Africa and Angola to remain fully focused on the situation.

The postponement comes amid heightened concerns following both the Kebbi school abduction and Monday’s attack on worshippers at the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State.

READ ALSO: Tinubu delays foreign trips over Kebbi abductions, Kwara church attack

The Presidency reiterated that rescuing the abducted schoolgirls is a top national priority, assuring Nigerians that security agencies are intensifying their search efforts and pursuing the perpetrators.

Officials say the President’s decisions reflect his renewed commitment to tackling the recurring violent attacks on schools and worship centres across the country.

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