President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to relocate immediately to Kebbi State to coordinate security efforts aimed at rescuing the 25 schoolgirls abducted earlier this week.
The instruction, issued on Thursday, follows intensified government efforts to free the girls kidnapped around 4 a.m. on Monday from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, located in Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
Matawalle, who previously served as Governor of neighbouring Zamfara State, is scheduled to arrive in Birnin Kebbi on Friday, where he will remain to supervise the rescue operation and deliver direct updates to President Tinubu.
According to a statement released Thursday evening by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Matawalle’s deployment reflects his prior experience handling banditry and large-scale kidnapping incidents during his governorship from 2019 to 2023.
One of the most high-profile attacks during his tenure occurred on 26 February 2021, when 279 female students were taken from Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe. All the girls were freed on March 2 after days of negotiation and intense security operations.
President Tinubu had earlier postponed his scheduled trip to Johannesburg for the G20 Summit and to Luanda for the AU-EU Summit, opting to remain in the country to receive security updates on both the Kebbi school abductions and Tuesday’s deadly attack on worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State.
Previous statements from the Presidency indicate that the President is deeply troubled by the renewed wave of violent attacks targeting schools and places of worship, and has ordered heightened security measures across vulnerable communities.
The Minister of State for Defence’s relocation highlights the administration’s determination to treat the situation as a national emergency requiring direct and high-level oversight.
Armed groups have continued ramping up attacks in parts of the Northwest and North-Central regions in recent years, with schools frequently targeted for mass kidnappings driven by ransom demands. Security forces have now activated search-and-rescue missions across forested areas bordering Kebbi, Zamfara, and Niger states.
