Tinubu Orders Matawalle to Relocate to Kebbi as Manhunt for Abducted Schoolgirls Intensifies

Tinubu Orders Matawalle to Relocate to Kebbi as Manhunt for Abducted Schoolgirls Intensifies

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to immediately relocate to Kebbi State following the abduction of 24 schoolgirls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga.

The directive, issued on Thursday, mandates Matawalle to remain in Kebbi and coordinate intensified security operations aimed at rescuing the abducted students.

Gunmen invaded the Maga community around 4 a.m. on Monday, whisking away the schoolgirls in another major blow to the Northwest’s ongoing battle with banditry and mass abductions.

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Matawalle, a former Governor of Zamfara State, is expected to arrive in Birnin Kebbi on Friday. His prior experience handling large-scale kidnappings—particularly the February 2021 abduction of 279 schoolgirls from Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe—was reportedly a key factor in deploying him to the state. The Jangebe victims were freed days later, on March 2, 2021.

The president has also postponed his scheduled diplomatic trips to South Africa and Angola as he awaits updated security briefings on the Kebbi kidnapping and the deadly attack on worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State.

The Federal Government says all military and intelligence agencies are now under strict orders to secure the immediate release of the abducted Kebbi schoolgirls and reinforce protection across vulnerable communities.

Tinubu Orders Matawalle to Relocate to Kebbi as Manhunt for Abducted Schoolgirls Intensifies