Home, But Not Yet Whole: Tinubu Welcomes Freed Kebbi Schoolgirls, Vows All-Out Effort for Others Still Held

Abuja, Nigeria – A wave of relief swept across Nigeria on Tuesday as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu officially welcomed the safe release of all 24 schoolgirls abducted last week from a Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State. 

The girls, seized by terrorists at dawn on November 17, regained their freedom after days of coordinated efforts by security agencies.

Their release, however, was quickly tempered by the President’s urgent directive to security forces to intensify operations to rescue other students and citizens still held captive across the country. 

A Wave of Relief and a Sobering Reality
In a statement released by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, President Tinubu expressed his profound relief, stating:

“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.”

The President lauded the security agents—including the military and the DSS—for the efforts that led to the girls’ freedom. He noted that the Kebbi incident had sparked a series of copycat kidnappings in other states, making the success in Maga a crucial morale boost. 

• The Maga Incident: All 24 students abducted from the Kebbi school are now safely accounted for, reportedly in good health and undergoing debriefing before reuniting with their families.
• The Kwara Release: The release follows closely on the heels of the successful rescue of all 38 worshippers abducted from a church in Eruku, Kwara State, just two days prior.

The Unfinished Business: A Call to Action
While celebrating the return of the Kebbi girls, the President’s statement clearly highlighted the grim reality that the fight against mass abduction is far from over.
The most critical outstanding case is the mass abduction from the St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, which occurred days after the Kebbi incident.

Reports suggest that over 300 students and staff were taken, although over 50 have since escaped or been found. 
President Tinubu’s charge to the security forces is unambiguous: the rescue of those still in captivity must be treated with the highest level of urgency.

“He tasked the security agents to make more efforts to rescue the remaining students still being held captive,” the statement affirmed, stressing the commitment of the administration to securing every community in the country.

The Way Forward: Increased Security Footprint

The President’s directive to deploy “more boots on the ground” signals a planned increase in the security footprint in high-risk, vulnerable areas, particularly schools and communities in the North-West and North-Central regions. 

This commitment is viewed by security analysts as a crucial step towards regaining public confidence, which has been severely eroded by the relentless attacks by bandits and terrorist groups.

The focus now shifts from celebrating one victory to achieving the total freedom of all abducted citizens.