Nine days after, FG rescues 24 Kebbi school girls

President Bola Tinubu has welcomed the release of 24 schoolgirls abducted by terrorists in Maga Kebbi last Monday.

Recall that terrorists had struck at the school at dawn on November 17, 2025 and abducted the girls, moments after a military detachment left the premises.

The incident sparked anger and anguish as stakeholders wondered the rationale for the withdrawal of the military men, just before the children were taken hostage

The details of their rescue, however, remain scanty as of the time of filing this report.

But, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, in a statement, said the Kebbi incident had triggered other copycat kidnappings in Eruku in Kwara State and Papiri in Niger State.

Although, while all the 38 worshippers at the Eruku Church in Kwara State have been rescued, the security agencies are still working round the clock to rescue the over 250 school children and their teachers who are still in the custody of the bandits in Niger State

The President had earlier on Tuesday, directed a comprehensive coverage of the forests around Niger and Kwara, in a bid to rescue the school children and their teachers

Onanuga noted however that Niger State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria CAN had earlier said 50 of the missing students of the Catholic School in Niger had been found in their parents’ homes.

President Tinubu, who applauded the security agents for all the efforts made to secure freedom of all the victims taken away by the terrorists, said it is time to put on their boots to ensure total freedom of the remaining kidnapped children and others still in the terrorists’ custody.

Following the ugly incident, President Tinubu had cancelled his trips to South Africa and Angola for the just concluded G20 summit and the AU- EU African summit.

The events were however attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Tinubu stayed back to coordinate the rescue exercise as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces.

The President last Friday, ordered Bello Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence to relocate to Kebbi State to coordinate the rescue exercise.

The President, while further reacting to the rescue of the Kebbi school girls, asked the security agents to make more efforts to rescue the remaining students still being held captive.

“I am relieved that all the 24 girls have been accounted for. Now, we must put as a matter of urgency more boots on the ground in the vulnerable areas to avert further incidents of kidnapping.

“My government will offer all the assistance needed to achieve this”, President Tinubu said.