ABUJA, Nov 26: Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has confirmed the release of 24 schoolgirls abducted by suspected terrorists in northern Kebbi State more than a week ago.
“I am relieved that all 24 girls have been accounted for,” Tinubu said in a statement late Tuesday, after local authorities reported that the students had been freed unharmed.
The girls were kidnapped on November 17 from their dormitory at Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, located in the Wasagu/Danko Local Government Area.
Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris told mediapersons that all girls were “all in good health” and that arrangements were underway for them to reunite with their families.
The abduction had sparked copycat incidents in the central part of the country last week, including the kidnapping of 38 worshippers during service at a local church in Kwara and over 300 students at another school in the state of Niger. All the kidnapped worshippers and 51 of the students were released on Sunday.
“Now, we must put as a matter of urgency more boots on the ground in the vulnerable areas to avert further incidents of kidnapping,” the president said.
According to officials, armed assailants stormed the Kebbi school, killing two staff members before abducting 25 students, two of whom escaped shortly after. The circumstances surrounding the release of the remaining girls have not been disclosed, though Tinubu praised security forces for their “swift response.”
Nigeria continues to grapple with a surge in mass kidnappings. More than 1,500 schoolchildren have been abducted since 2014, when 276 girls were taken from Chibok in an attack that shocked the world.
Most recently, at least 300 children and staff were seized on Friday from St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school in Niger State, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria, which reported that more than 250 remain unaccounted for, the BBC reported.
The latest wave of attacks prompted President Tinubu to cancel his trip to the G20 Summit in South Africa to address the crisis. He has ordered security forces to intensify operations, stating, “We must urgently deploy more personnel to vulnerable areas to avert further kidnappings.”
In a separate post on X, the president said the Air Force would maintain continuous surveillance over remote regions, coordinating with ground units to “identify, isolate, disrupt, and neutralise all hostile elements.” (UNI)
“I am relieved that all 24 girls have been accounted for,” Tinubu said in a statement late Tuesday, after local authorities reported that the students had been freed unharmed.
The girls were kidnapped on November 17 from their dormitory at Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, located in the Wasagu/Danko Local Government Area.
Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris told mediapersons that all girls were “all in good health” and that arrangements were underway for them to reunite with their families.
The abduction had sparked copycat incidents in the central part of the country last week, including the kidnapping of 38 worshippers during service at a local church in Kwara and over 300 students at another school in the state of Niger. All the kidnapped worshippers and 51 of the students were released on Sunday.
“Now, we must put as a matter of urgency more boots on the ground in the vulnerable areas to avert further incidents of kidnapping,” the president said.
According to officials, armed assailants stormed the Kebbi school, killing two staff members before abducting 25 students, two of whom escaped shortly after. The circumstances surrounding the release of the remaining girls have not been disclosed, though Tinubu praised security forces for their “swift response.”
Nigeria continues to grapple with a surge in mass kidnappings. More than 1,500 schoolchildren have been abducted since 2014, when 276 girls were taken from Chibok in an attack that shocked the world.
Most recently, at least 300 children and staff were seized on Friday from St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school in Niger State, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria, which reported that more than 250 remain unaccounted for, the BBC reported.
The latest wave of attacks prompted President Tinubu to cancel his trip to the G20 Summit in South Africa to address the crisis. He has ordered security forces to intensify operations, stating, “We must urgently deploy more personnel to vulnerable areas to avert further kidnappings.”
In a separate post on X, the president said the Air Force would maintain continuous surveillance over remote regions, coordinating with ground units to “identify, isolate, disrupt, and neutralise all hostile elements.” (UNI)
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