President Bola Tinubu has welcomed the release of 24 schoolgirls abducted by terrorists in Maga, Kebbi State, last Monday.
The attack, which occurred at dawn on 17 November shortly after a military detachment reportedly left the school premises, triggered a series of copycat abductions in Eruku, Kwara State, and Papiri, Niger State.
All 38 victims kidnapped in Eruku were freed on Sunday, while the Niger State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria also confirmed that 50 missing students from the Catholic school in Papiri had returned to their families.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by his special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu commended security agencies for their efforts in securing the students’ release.
The president, however, urged the security forces to intensify operations to rescue the remaining abducted students still in captivity.
“I am relieved that all the 24 girls have been accounted for. Now, we must, as a matter of urgency, put 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,” he said.
The president reiterated his commitment to supporting security operations aimed at ending the surge in school kidnappings across affected states.
