By Amofokhai Williams
In a breakthrough rescue operation, all 24 schoolgirls abducted on 17 November from the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga in Maga town, Kebbi State have been safely recovered, according to a statement by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The president’s announcement came on Tuesday after days of intense efforts by security forces, including the military, police, and local vigilantes, to track and rescue the victims.
“I am relieved that all the 24 girls have been accounted for,” President Tinubu said in the statement, stressing that the focus must now shift to preventing future kidnappings.
The school was attacked before dawn on 17 November by heavily armed gunmen who stormed the boarding facility, abducting the students and killing a staff member, according to earlier reports.
Following the attack, search operations intensified in forested and rural corridors of Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States, where bandits often hide.
Security analysts say the northwest region of Nigeria has become increasingly vulnerable to mass abductions because of weak state presence and overlapping criminal groups.
The recent rescue of the 24 girls marks the most significant recovery since similar incidents earlier this year.
While the recovery of the girls offers a moment of relief to families and the nation, experts caution that the threat remains serious.
The government has been under pressure amid a wave of kidnappings, including the abduction of more than 300 students and staff from a Catholic school in Niger State just days ago.
The girls are currently in transit to Birnin Kebbi, destined to undergo medical checks and debriefings with officials. Authorities have withheld details of the rescue operation for security reasons.
“Now, we must put as a matter of urgency, boots on the ground in the vulnerable areas to avert further incidents of kidnapping,” the president said.
