President Bola Tinubu has suspended his planned diplomatic trips to South Africa and Angola as he awaits comprehensive security reports on the recent attacks in Kebbi and Kwara states.
The development followed growing national concern over the kidnapping of schoolgirls in Kebbi and the assault on worshippers at a church in Kwara.
President Tinubu was initially scheduled to depart Abuja on Wednesday for Johannesburg to participate in the 20th G20 Summit, after which he was expected to travel to Luanda for the 7th AU–EU Summit.
However, a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed that the President opted to remain in the country to receive updates and coordinate security responses.
According to the statement, Tinubu has ordered the deployment of additional security personnel to Eruku and the wider Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State after bandits attacked worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church earlier in the week.
He also directed the police to launch an intensified manhunt for the perpetrators.
The President is similarly awaiting feedback from Vice President Kashim Shettima, who was dispatched to Kebbi State on Wednesday to visit the scene of the schoolgirls’ abduction and engage with state officials.
“Deeply troubled by the security breaches in Kebbi and Monday’s attack on worshippers in Eruku, the President has chosen to delay his departure,” Onanuga’s statement noted.
He added that Tinubu is expecting detailed reports from the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) as investigations progress.
The Presidency reiterated that securing the release of the abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi remains a top priority.
Tinubu, through his spokesperson, charged security agencies to “leave no stone unturned” in the ongoing rescue mission.
Gunmen had stormed Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, killing the vice principal and abducting several students in an attack that has drawn national and international criticism.
Shettima is expected to brief the President upon his return from Kebbi, while law enforcement agencies in Kwara compile their findings on Tuesday’s assault.
The coordinated reports will inform the Federal Government’s next line of action as insecurity persists across several regions.
