Kebbi Governor demands urgent probe into military withdrawal as armed men abduct schoolgirls in Maga, raising fears of operational lapses

Kebbi Governor Nasir Idris has called for an immediate investigation following the sudden withdrawal of military personnel from Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, barely an hour before armed men abducted several students.

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The governor raised the issue on Friday during a closed-door meeting with the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, who had arrived in Kebbi on the directive of President Bola Tinubu to oversee rescue operations.

Idris revealed that state authorities had earlier received intelligence suggesting that the Maga school could be targeted.

Security operatives were promptly deployed, yet their unexplained withdrawal shortly before the attack has sparked public outrage and raised questions about possible operational lapses—or even internal sabotage.

“We need to know why they left. We had intelligence, we provided security, so what happened?” the governor asked during the meeting, insisting that the Ministry of Defence must provide answers.

The abduction at Maga is the latest in a series of attacks across northwestern Nigeria, where armed groups exploit porous security structures, challenging terrain, and overstretched personnel to target rural communities and schools.

Governor Idris emphasised that previous incidents had prompted his administration to invest heavily in security logistics.

Hundreds of operational vehicles and motorcycles were supplied to security agencies to boost rapid response, making the recent lapse “even more troubling,” he said.

Minister Matawalle, accompanied by senior military commanders, assured the governor and residents that the rescue mission is being coordinated from Kebbi.

He pledged that all available resources would be mobilised to secure the safe return of the abducted schoolgirls.

“We are on ground. We are fully committed. The safe return of these children is our top priority,” Matawalle stated.

Meanwhile, communities surrounding the school remain tense as military operations intensify in nearby forests. Parents and residents continue to gather at the school, anxiously awaiting news of their children.

Governor Idris appealed for calm and urged citizens to support the ongoing operations with prayers. “We will not rest until every girl is safely reunited with her family,” he said.

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The incident has reignited urgent calls for stricter oversight of security deployments in vulnerable communities, particularly schools, which continue to be prime targets for armed gangs seeking ransom.