Schoolgirls Abducted: Tinubu Deploys Matawalle to Kebbi

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, to immediately relocate to Kebbi State to oversee intensified security operations aimed at rescuing 24 schoolgirls abducted by armed men in the early hours of Monday.

The presidential directive underscores rising national concern over the attack on Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Sakaba Local Government Area.

The abduction, which occurred around 4 a.m., saw gunmen storm the boarding facility and take away 24 female students, sparking anxiety among parents and residents. Security agencies have since launched search-and-rescue efforts, but the President’s directive signals renewed urgency as the government moves to prevent a repeat of past mass kidnappings in the North-West.

In a statement from the Presidency, Tinubu instructed Matawalle who served as governor of neighbouring Zamfara State from 2019 to 2023 to remain in Kebbi until significant progress is made in the rescue operation. His presence, the President said, should strengthen coordination between the military, police, and local vigilante groups already combing forested areas around Sakaba and adjoining communities.

Matawalle is expected to arrive Birnin Kebbi on Friday and proceed to the affected community for on-the-ground assessments. His appointment to supervise the rescue mission comes against the backdrop of his prior experience dealing with widespread banditry during his tenure in Zamfara, a state that witnessed several high-profile kidnappings throughout the period.

One of the most notable incidents under his watch was the February 2021 abduction of 279 female students from Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe. The incident, which drew global attention, saw the schoolgirls freed after six days in captivity. Matawalle’s supporters argue that his previous exposure to similar crises positions him to understand the operational and logistical challenges associated with negotiating pressure-filled rescue efforts.

Meanwhile, Tinubu who had been scheduled to travel to Johannesburg, South Africa, and Luanda, Angola—postponed his trips to receive detailed security briefings. The President is monitoring not only the Kebbi schoolgirls’ case but also the attack on worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, where gunmen killed several people and injured others during a church programme over the weekend.

According to Presidency sources, Tinubu is insisting on a comprehensive response to what security analysts describe as a worrying resurgence of coordinated attacks in parts of the North-West and North-Central regions. He has ordered military and police chiefs to “deploy maximum operational assets” to affected communities and ensure that all perpetrators are arrested.

The abduction in Kebbi has reignited national debate over persistent insecurity in northern Nigeria, particularly the targeting of schoolgirls a pattern that recalls the Chibok school abduction of 2014, the Dapchi incident of 2018, and the Jangebe case of 2021. Parents and community leaders in Maga expressed frustration that despite military operations in nearby forests, criminal elements continue to evade security checkpoints and carry out coordinated attacks.

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Residents of Sakaba LGA have long appealed for stronger military presence, as the border with Zamfara is known for dense forests and difficult terrain used by armed groups as hideouts. Early community reports indicate that the attackers may have moved the abducted students toward the vast Fakon Idi forest, a known hotspot for bandit movement, though security operations remain ongoing.

In the wake of the attack, civil society groups and education advocates have called for expedited deployment of security personnel to rural schools and the full implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative. The initiative, launched after the Chibok abduction, has been widely criticised for poor execution and inadequate funding.

As Matawalle prepares to take charge of the field operations in Kebbi, security experts say his effectiveness will depend on improved intelligence sharing between the military, local hunters, and vigilante groups who understand the terrain. The Defence Minister’s collaboration with Kebbi State authorities is expected to shape the next phase of the rescue mission.

For now, the nation watches anxiously as families await news of their abducted daughters. The Presidency has reiterated that securing the schoolgirls’ safe return is “an absolute priority” for the federal government one it insists must be achieved swiftly and without compromise.