In a renewed push to tackle Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed security agencies to immediately rescue the 25 schoolgirls abducted in Kebbi State earlier this week. The president’s directive came amid mounting nationwide outrage and intense criticism over yet another brazen school kidnapping—an incident many Nigerians fear signals a relapse into mass abductions reminiscent of Chibok, Kankara, and Jangebe.
The abduction occurred at Government Secondary School, Sakaba Local Government Area, when heavily gunmen stormed the premises in the early hours of Monday. Witnesses reported that the attackers overwhelmed the limited security presence and escaped through bush paths, taking the schoolgirls with them. Villagers claim they alerted authorities during the attack, but help arrived hours later.
Following the abduction, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja visited Kebbi State to assess the situation on the ground. In a decisive address to soldiers, Lagbaja ordered troops to work “round-the-clock, without pause or hesitation,” until the abducted girls are safely returned. He also held closed-door meetings with local commanders, traditional rulers, and community informants with the aim of tightening intelligence networks and identifying the culprits’ escape routes.
Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris expressed deep frustration with the circumstances surrounding the abduction, stating that security agencies had allegedly failed to act despite receiving credible intelligence days before the incident. According to him, villagers had noticed unusual movement in nearby forests and raised an alarm, yet no proactive deployment was made.
Governor Idris, visibly angry during a press briefing, said: “We cannot continue like this. Our people gave information. They cooperated. They reported what they saw. Yet, somehow, the system still failed these children. This is unacceptable.”
His comments triggered public debate about the effectiveness of Nigeria’s intelligence-sharing mechanisms and whether inter-agency rivalry continues to undermine swift response. Many Nigerians have questioned how armed groups continue to outmaneuver security agencies despite huge annual budget allocations and years of counterterrorism investments.
President Tinubu, in his directive issued through the Presidency’s media office, told security chiefs that the matter must be treated as a national priority. He emphasized that rescuing the girls alive is “non-negotiable,” urging a coordinated, intelligence-led operation involving the Army, Police, DSS, and local vigilante groups.
Meanwhile, human rights groups have raised concerns about the growing trend of school kidnappings in northern Nigeria, calling it a threat to education, economic growth, gender equality, and human security. UNICEF estimates that over 1,000 students have been abducted in Nigeria since 2014, with many suffering trauma, forced marriages, and long-term psychological harm.
As search operations intensify across forests bordering Zamfara, Niger, and Kebbi states, residents fear reprisals from bandits who are known to retaliate against communities suspected of collaborating with security forces. Still, many remain hopeful that the president’s directive will lead to swift action and not another prolonged ordeal like those endured by the Chibok and Dapchi girls. For now, the nation waits anxiously, watching whether Nigeria’s security forces can deliver results in one of the most emotionally charged abductions in recent times.