Twenty-four schoolgirls abducted by terrorists in Maga, Kebbi State, have regained their freedom, a week after they were seized in an early-morning raid that sparked nationwide outrage.
The students were kidnapped at dawn on Monday, November 17, shortly after a military detachment reportedly withdrew from the school premises—a development that raised questions over security lapses in vulnerable communities.
President Bola Tinubu, in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, welcomed the release of the girls and commended security agencies for what he described as “swift and coordinated action.”
Their release comes amid a disturbing rise in copycat abductions across the North-Central and North-West. In Kwara State, all 38 abductees taken from Eruku community were freed on Sunday, while in Niger State, 50 students kidnapped from a Catholic institution have reunited with their families.
Tinubu said the successful rescue operations show progress, but insisted that security operatives must “intensify boots on the ground” to prevent further attacks on schools and rural settlements.
“I am relieved that all the 24 girls have been accounted for. Now, we must urgently deploy more boots on the ground in vulnerable areas to avert further incidents of kidnapping. My government will offer all the assistance needed to achieve this,” the President said.
He added that the Federal Government remains committed to securing schools and strengthening community-level intelligence to curb terrorist activities.
Security analysts say the recent spate of abductions underscores the resurgence of bandit networks targeting soft civilian locations, particularly schools with weak security infrastructure.
Meanwhile, residents of affected communities across Kebbi, Kwara, and Niger states have renewed calls for improved surveillance, better-equipped local security formations, and consistent government presence in rural areas.
The Presidency assured that ongoing operations would focus on rescuing any remaining victims still in captivity and dismantling the networks behind the coordinated attacks.
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