President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to immediately relocate to Kebbi State as security agencies intensify efforts to rescue the schoolgirls abducted earlier in the week.
The directive was disclosed in a statement issued by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. According to the statement, Matawalle is to remain in Kebbi until he receives firsthand updates and oversees ongoing operations aimed at securing the release of the kidnapped students.
The attack occurred around 4 a.m. on Monday, when armed assailants stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, abducting 24 students. Authorities say the minister is expected to arrive in Birnin Kebbi on Friday to coordinate with security operatives on ground.
Matawalle’s deployment, the statement noted, is informed by his previous experience in confronting widespread banditry during his time as governor of Zamfara State between 2019 and 2023. One of the most notable incidents during his tenure was the 2021 abduction of 279 schoolgirls from Jangebe, who were later released unharmed.
Tinubu, who has been receiving continuous security briefings, has also postponed his planned trips to Johannesburg, South Africa, and Luanda, Angola, as the situation in Kebbi and another violent incident in Eruku, Kwara State, demands his attention.
Meanwhile, governors elected under the All Progressives Congress (APC), operating under the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), have offered their solidarity to the people and government of Kebbi State. The forum’s chairman and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, led a delegation to Birnin Kebbi on Thursday, November 20, to express support following the attack in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area.
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Describing the abduction as “tragic and unacceptable,” Uzodimma assured the affected families that APC governors stand firmly behind ongoing rescue efforts and remain committed to ensuring the safe return of the abducted schoolgirls.
