In a decisive move to address the escalating security crisis in the North-West, President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of State for Defence, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, to immediately relocate to Kebbi State following the abduction of schoolgirls in the region.
According to a statement released on Thursday, November 20, 2025, by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the President has tasked the Minister with overseeing the security operations aimed at rescuing the students unharmed.
Matawalle, who is expected to arrive in Birni-Kebbi on Friday, has been instructed to remain on the ground until the situation is resolved. His mandate involves close monitoring of the security agencies’ efforts to secure the release of the students abducted from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town.
The abduction, which occurred around 4:00 am on Monday, November 17, saw gunmen storm the school premises and seize approximately 25 students.
The Presidency highlighted Matawalle’s prior experience as a key asset in this operation. As the former Governor of Zamfara State (2019–2023), Matawalle navigated similar security challenges, including the high-profile abduction of 279 female students from the Government Girls Science Secondary School in Jangebe in February 2021.
Those students were successfully released days later, a precedent the administration hopes to replicate in Kebbi.
Underscoring the gravity of the situation, President Tinubu has postponed his scheduled diplomatic engagements to South Africa and Angola. The President was set to travel to Johannesburg for the G20 Summit and subsequently to Luanda for the AU-EU Summit.
Instead, the President has opted to stay in Abuja to receive real-time security briefings, not only on the Kebbi abduction but also regarding a separate attack on worshippers at a Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State.
The federal government has assured the families of the victims that all necessary resources are being deployed to ensure the safe return of the students and to apprehend the perpetrators behind these attacks.
