Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, on Friday arrived in Birnin Kebbi to coordinate ongoing efforts to rescue schoolgirls abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga.
The minister’s visit followed a directive by President Bola Tinubu for him to immediately relocate to the state to oversee the search-and-rescue operation.
On arrival, Matawalle held a closed-door meeting with senior military officers, police commanders and heads of security agencies to assess the situation and strengthen operational strategies.
A senior security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the minister’s presence marked the beginning of “a more aggressive phase” of the rescue efforts.
“The instruction from Abuja is clear — everything possible must be done to ensure the safe return of the girls,” the official said.
Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, lauded the federal government’s intervention and pledged the state’s full support for the operation.
“What happened in Maga is unacceptable,” the governor said in a statement. “We will continue to collaborate with security agencies to ensure the safe return of our daughters.”
Parents and community leaders in Maga have continued to hold prayer sessions since the incident. A community elder told newsmen that the minister’s arrival had boosted local confidence.
“Our people are worried, but we are hopeful,” he said.
Armed men had invaded the school in the early hours of Monday, overpowering local security personnel and abducting several students. The attack has drawn widespread condemnation and renewed concerns over the safety of schools in rural communities.
Security operatives have expanded the search to forest areas linking Kebbi with Zamfara and Niger States, with ground troops and aerial surveillance deployed to track the kidnappers.
