By Deborah Nnamdi
The 24 schoolgirls abducted from Maga in Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State have regained their freedom, the Presidency announced on Tuesday.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu welcomed the safe return of the girls and commended the security agencies for their coordinated efforts in securing their release.
Tinubu urged the security forces to intensify ongoing operations to free other students still in captivity across the country.
“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,” the President said.
The attackers had stormed the school at dawn on November 17, shortly after a military detachment reportedly withdrew from the premises. The terrorists killed the Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, before abducting the students.
The Kebbi attack was followed by similar incidents in Eruku, Kwara State, and Papiri in Niger State. All 38 victims kidnapped in Eruku were freed on Sunday, while the Niger State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria reported that 50 of the missing Catholic school students in the state had been found in their parents’ homes.
