The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has arrived in Kebbi State on an official visit as security agencies intensify efforts to rescue the abducted schoolgirls from Maga.
During his visit, the police chief is expected to meet with Governor Nasir Idris before addressing officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force.
His trip comes amid heightened security concerns and ongoing rescue operations following a series of mass abductions in Kebbi, Niger, and Kwara States.
Egbetokun had on Sunday met with President Bola Tinubu at the State House to brief him on the worsening security situation and the wave of kidnappings sweeping multiple states.
The meeting also had in attendance the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyode; Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Kelvin Aneke; Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General E.A.P. Undiendeye; Chief of Army Staff, Major General Waidi Shaibu, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Ajayi.
Maga School Abduction
On November 17, gunmen stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) in Maga, located in the Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State. The attackers, who struck in the early hours of Monday, reportedly shot and killed the school’s Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, before abducting several students.
Witnesses said the bandits operated freely without resistance, sending shockwaves through the region and plunging communities into fear. Makuku was said to have been killed while bravely attempting to protect the students.
Niger State Mass Kidnapping
Before the nation could recover from the Kebbi tragedy, armed men launched another large-scale attack—this time in Papiri, Niger State. The gunmen invaded St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School, a Catholic-owned institution, last Friday.
Arriving on more than 60 motorcycles and accompanied by a van, the attackers shot the school’s gatekeeper, leaving him critically injured, and abducted 315 students. According to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), about 50 of the kidnapped students managed to escape between Friday and Saturday.
Most Rev. Bulus Yohanna, CAN Chairman in Niger State and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, confirmed the development through his spokesperson, Daniel Atori. He noted that the escaped students had returned to their families.
He added that among the 430 pupils in the school’s primary section, 377 were boarders.
Police Step Up Search Efforts
The Niger State Police Command says tactical units, alongside military personnel, have been deployed to track down the attackers. A police statement revealed that officers received distress reports around 2 a.m. that armed bandits had stormed St. Mary’s hostel and abducted an unspecified number of students.
Security personnel are currently combing surrounding forests in search of the victims as the nation grapples with intense scrutiny over its internal security.
Tinubu Cancels G20 Summit Trip
Amid the escalating insecurity, President Tinubu cancelled his planned trip to the G20 summit in South Africa. Vice President Kashim Shettima will attend on his behalf, the presidency announced.
The recent school kidnappings followed closely after an attack on a church earlier in the week—incidents that have renewed global attention on Nigeria’s security challenges.
Church Attacks and Rising Ransom Demands
In a separate attack on Tuesday in western Nigeria, armed men invaded a church during a service that was being livestreamed. Two worshippers were killed, and dozens more reportedly abducted.
Meanwhile, bandits who kidnapped 38 worshippers from a church in Kwara State have demanded a ransom of ₦100 million per victim, according to church officials.
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