Tinubu sends Defence Minister of State Matawalle to take charge on ground in Kebbi

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, to immediately relocate to Kebbi State to oversee the federal government’s response to the abduction of 24 students from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Sakaba Local Government Area.

The directive, issued late on Thursday, underscored the seriousness with which the presidency views the latest school kidnapping and the growing pressure on security agencies to prevent a resurgence of mass abductions targeting educational institutions in northern Nigeria.

According to senior officials familiar with the development, President Tinubu instructed Matawalle to “remain in Kebbi State until significant progress is made” in efforts to trace the kidnappers, coordinate rescue operations, and secure the safe return of the victims.

The president is said to be receiving hourly updates from defence and intelligence chiefs and has put all relevant security agencies on heightened alert.

His decision to deploy a serving minister for on-ground coordination reflects concerns over the frequency of attacks in the Northwest and the need for rapid response mechanisms.

The attack occurred around 4 a.m. on Monday when armed men, believed to be part of a bandit group operating across the Kebbi–Zamfara axis, stormed the girls’ dormitory.

Residents said the attackers arrived in large numbers, firing into the air before breaking into the boarding facility and seizing the students.

The gunmen reportedly marched the girls into the nearby forests that stretch across state boundaries, a tactic frequently used by kidnapping syndicates to avoid security pressure.

Community members who attempted to alert security operatives said help arrived only after the attackers had fled.

Matawalle, who served as governor of Zamfara State between 2019 and 2023, is no stranger to the complexities of banditry in the region.

Under his administration, Zamfara witnessed several mass abductions, including the February 2021 kidnapping of 279 girls from Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe, a case that drew global attention.

The Jangebe victims were freed after days of negotiations involving security forces, traditional rulers, and community mediators.

Matawalle’s familiarity with such high-stakes operations is believed to be one of the reasons the president wants him physically present in Kebbi.

The minister is expected to arrive in Birnin Kebbi on Friday, where he will meet with state officials, security commanders, community leaders, and representatives of the affected families.

The gravity of the situation has also forced President Tinubu to postpone his scheduled diplomatic visits to Johannesburg, South Africa, and Luanda, Angola.

The president had been expected to attend high-level meetings with African leaders, but presidential aides confirmed he chose to remain in Nigeria to monitor security developments.

In addition to the Kebbi abduction, Tinubu is receiving updates on the attack on Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, where gunmen opened fire on worshippers earlier in the week.

Military and police units have been deployed across multiple forest corridors linking Kebbi, Zamfara, Niger, and Sokoto states.

Air surveillance has reportedly been intensified, and local vigilante groups have been placed on standby to support the search efforts.

However, defence officials have not disclosed operational details, citing safety concerns for the abducted students.

In Maga town, the atmosphere remains tense. Parents of the abducted schoolgirls have gathered repeatedly at the school premises seeking information, some expressing frustration over what they described as slow initial response from security agencies.

Local leaders have appealed for calm but acknowledged the trauma the community continues to endure.

Many say the incident evokes memories of earlier mass abductions in the region, raising fears of a renewed wave of coordinated attacks.

Nigeria has struggled for over a decade with school kidnappings, from the 2014 Chibok abduction in Borno State to more recent attacks in Kaduna, Niger, Zamfara, and Katsina.

Despite increased military operations, the criminal networks behind these kidnappings continue to exploit difficult terrain, porous borders, and limited state presence in rural areas.

Security analysts warn that unless rapid reforms occur including improved intelligence gathering and community-based early-warning systems such attacks may continue.

As Matawalle prepares to take charge in Kebbi, federal officials insist that securing the safe return of the missing students is the government’s top priority.

President Tinubu is expected to hold further meetings with service chiefs and governors from affected regions in the coming days.

For now, the nation waits anxiously as rescue efforts intensify and families hope for positive news.

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