Tinubu ordered Defence Minister Bello Matawalle to relocate to Kebbi after 24 schoolgirls were abductedThe Presidency cited Matawalle’s experience with past mass kidnappings as a key reason for his deploymentTinubu postponed planned foreign trips as he awaited security briefings on the Kebbi abduction and Kwara church attackPresident Bola Tinubu has ordered the Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, to immediately relocate to Kebbi State following the abduction of 24 schoolgirls in Maga town.
The directive, announced on Thursday night, November 20, by Presidential Spokesman Bayo Onanuga, requires the minister to remain in the state and directly coordinate security efforts aimed at securing the students’ release.
Tinubu directs Matawalle to move to Kebbi immediately as pressure mounts over the kidnapping of schoolgirls in Maga town. Photo credit: @Bellomatawalle1/@officialABAT
Source: FacebookAs reported by Daily Trust, Onanuga said:
“Matawalle is expected to arrive in Birnin Kebbi on Friday. He gained some experience in dealing with banditry and mass kidnapping during his tenure as governor of Zamfara State from 2019 to 2023.”Kebbi abduction triggers heightened federal responseThe gunmen attacked Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, at about 4 am on Monday, whisking away 24 students.
The incident has sparked renewed concern over rising insecurity affecting schools in northern Nigeria.
The Presidency noted that Matawalle’s past handling of mass abductions was part of the reason Tinubu directed him to stay on ground, Vanguard reported.
“On 26 February 2021, armed bandits abducted 279 female students aged between 10 and 17 at the Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe, in Zamfara State. The bandits released all the hostages on 2 March 2021,” the statement recalled. Tinubu postpones foreign trips for security updatesThe President also postponed his planned visits to Johannesburg, South Africa, and Luanda, Angola, as he awaits ongoing security briefings on both the Kebbi kidnapping and the attack on Christ Apostolic Church worshippers in Eruku, Kwara state.
Tinubu asks Matawalle to remain in Kebbi as the government steps up operations to find the missing schoolgirls. Photo credit: @officialABAT
Source: UGCAccording to Onanuga, Tinubu is prioritising domestic security threats and is closely monitoring developments.
Atiku speaks on Kebbi abductionAtiku Abubakar, the former vice president of Nigeria, has condemned the abduction of 25 girls at the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Danko district of Danko Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi state.
Atiku condemned the attack, calling on the federal government to up its game in confronting the insecurity challenges across the country. The 2027 presidential hopeful lamented that several villages across the north are under consistent bandit attacks.
The former vice president’s statement has started generating reactions from his supporters. Below are some of their reactions: Wachor Zakks-Manuel reminds Atiku of another attack in southern Kaduna:
“@atiku there was a similar incident of abduction of a Catholic Priest and the killing of a brother to another priest in Kagarko LGA of Kaduna State. Many villagers were abducted as well.” Kebbi abduction: Names of schoolgirls releasedPreviously, Legit.ng reported that the Kebbi State government has published the full list of schoolgirls abducted on Monday, November 17, from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Danko Wasagu Local Government Area.
The disclosure comes after US lawmaker Riley Moore described the abduction as occurring in a Christian enclave in Nigeria’s Northwest. However, the state authorities said the claim was misleading and potentially inflammatory.
In a statement by Danko-Wasagu Local Government chairman Hussaini Aliyu clarified that all 25 abducted students are Muslim, adding that the Maga community, under the Zuru Emirate, has a long history of peaceful coexistence and has never experienced religious crises.
Source: Legit.ng
