President Bola Tinubu has issued a stern directive to the nation’s security agencies, demanding the immediate and safe return of schoolgirls abducted from Kebbi State, while simultaneously confirming the death of a senior army commander, Brigadier General Musa Uba, in Borno State.
The twin security blows, occurring within days of each other, have cast a pall over the nation and triggered a fresh wave of concern regarding safety in conflict-prone regions.
In a statement delivered via his official X handle on Wednesday, a visibly moved President Tinubu expressed his profound grief over the incidents. “I am heartbroken by the abduction of our daughters in Kebbi and the painful loss of Brigadier General Musa Uba and the brave soldiers who fell in Borno. Their families and the families of the kidnapped schoolgirls are in my prayers,” the President stated.
The abduction unfolded in the early hours of Monday when armed gunmen stormed the dormitory of the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, located in the Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State. The assailants killed the school’s vice principal and a security guard before fleeing with 25 students. A glimmer of hope emerged as local reports indicated that one of the abducted girls managed to escape her captors. Hunters and security forces have since intensified search operations in the surrounding areas.
In a separate and equally devastating incident, Brigadier General Musa Uba, the commander of the Nigerian Army’s 25 Task Force Brigade in Damboa, Borno State, was ambushed and captured by militants from the Islamic State West Africa Province during a convoy operation near Wajiroko village last Friday.
The jihadist group claimed responsibility for the attack on Monday, announcing they had executed the senior officer alongside other captured soldiers. While the Nigerian Army had initially denied these claims, President Tinubu’s statement served as the first official confirmation of the General’s death, whom he described as one of the “brave soldiers who fell in Borno.”
Addressing his role as Commander-in-Chief, President Tinubu said he is “depressed with the tragic death of our soldiers and officers on active duty” and prayed for divine comfort for the bereaved families.
He also voiced his frustration over the attack on education, stating, “I am also depressed that heartless terrorists have disrupted the education of innocent schoolgirls. I have directed the security agencies to act swiftly and bring the girls back to Kebbi State.”
The President assured the public that he is “fully apprised of the recent uptick in violent extremism in pockets across the country,” and has consequently directed security agencies “to respond with urgency, clarity, and decisive action.”
He issued a rallying call for communal support, emphasising that “Our forces need the full cooperation of every community. Sharing information can save lives and protect our children.”
The President concluded with a firm warning to the perpetrators, declaring that “those who threaten the safety of our citizens will face the full weight of the Nigerian state.”
