President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to immediately relocate to Kebbi State following the abduction of 25 schoolgirls in the state.

According to the Presidency, Matawalle is expected to remain in Kebbi to coordinate and monitor security operations aimed at rescuing the abducted students.

The minister, a former governor of Zamfara State, is scheduled to arrive in Birnin Kebbi on Friday.

In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said: “President Tinubu has instructed the Minister of State for Defence to move to Kebbi State without delay and oversee all ongoing efforts to safely bring back the abducted schoolgirls.”

Gunmen invaded Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, a community in Sakaba Local Government Area, around 4 a.m. on Monday, abducting 24 students from their hostel.

According to the statement, Matawalle’s previous experience in handling banditry and mass abductions in Zamfara is believed to be part of the reason he was assigned to lead on-ground coordination.

“During his tenure as governor, Zamfara saw several high-profile kidnappings, including the February 2021 abduction of 279 students from Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe. The victims were released days later,” the statement said.

Earlier, Tinubu said he is “depressed” by the recent surge in violent attacks across the country, including the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba in Borno State and the abduction of 25 schoolgirls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State.

The president vowed that those responsible would face justice.

In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, Tinubu said he was “heartbroken by the abduction of our daughters in Kebbi and the painful loss of Brigadier General Musa Uba and the brave soldiers who fell in Borno.”

Tinubu described the killings as deeply distressing, saying, “As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I am depressed with the tragic death of our soldiers and officers on active duty.”

He also condemned the attack on the school, saying he was “depressed that heartless terrorists have disrupted the education of innocent schoolgirls.”

The President said he had directed security agencies to act swiftly to rescue the abducted students and restore calm.

Tinubu acknowledged the “recent uptick in violent extremism in pockets across the country,” stating that he had ordered security agencies to respond with “urgency, clarity, and decisive action.”

The President urged communities to support security operations, stressing that “sharing information can save lives and protect our children.”

Reaffirming his commitment to ending the violence, Tinubu declared:
“Those who threaten the safety of our citizens will face the full weight of the Nigerian state.”

Meanwhile, the president has postponed his scheduled trip to Johannesburg, South Africa, and Luanda, Angola, as he awaits additional security briefings on both the Kebbi abduction and the attack on worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State.

President Tinubu was scheduled to leave Abuja today to attend the 20th G20 Summit of leaders in South Africa and thereafter proceed to Luanda to attend the 7th AU-EU Summit.

Disturbed by the security breaches in Kebbi State and Monday’s attack by bandits against worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku, President Tinubu decided to suspend his departure.

A statement by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga: the President awaits reports from Vice President Kashim Shettima, who paid a sympathy visit to Kebbi on his behalf, as well as reports from the police and the Department of State Services regarding the attack in Kwara.