Cynthia Ezegwu
The Federal Government has vowed to ensure the safe return of female students abducted from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, Kebbi State, following a gunmen attack that also claimed the life of a school official.
The commitment was made on Monday by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a statement shared via his verified X handle. Titled “FG vows swift rescue of abducted Kebbi schoolgirls, reaffirms duty to protect citizens,” the statement emphasised the government’s concern for the victims and its determination to bring the girls home safely.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has reiterated that protecting every Nigerian, especially schoolchildren, remains a solemn responsibility of the State,” the statement read. It added that the Federal Government is recalibrating the nation’s military, policing, and intelligence capabilities to prevent attacks and respond more effectively whenever threats arise.
Idris also highlighted Nigeria’s collaboration with regional partners, including ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Multinational Joint Task Force, to secure borders and dismantle terrorist and criminal networks. He urged Nigerians to remain calm and confident during the rescue operations.
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Earlier reports indicated that gunmen attacked the school in the early hours of Monday, killing at least one staff member and abducting an unspecified number of students. A school guard was also injured during the incident.
The Nigeria Police Force and the military have launched an intensive search-and-rescue operation. According to the police, tactical units deployed to the school engaged the assailants in a gun duel, but the bandits had already moved the students to an unknown location.
Operatives from the police tactical unit, in collaboration with the military and other security agencies, are currently combing bandit routes and nearby forests to recover the abducted students and apprehend the perpetrators.