By Ayomide Otitoju
President Bola Tinubu is currently holding a closed-door meeting with Nigeria’s top security chiefs at the Presidential Villa in Abuja amid rising concerns over school abductions and attacks in northern states.
Attending the session are 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 EAP Undiendeye; and Chief of Army Staff, Major General Waidi Shaibu. The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Ajayi, are also present.
While the details of the meeting remain sketchy, sources suggest it is linked to a series of recent abductions in northern Nigeria.
On November 17, gunmen attacked the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, killing the Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, and abducting several students. The attack, which occurred in the early hours of the day, caused widespread panic in the Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area.
Just days later, attackers struck St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger State. Gunmen reportedly arrived on over 60 motorcycles and a van, seriously injuring the school’s gatekeeper before abducting 315 students. Fifty of the students managed to escape, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). Most. Rev. Bulus Yohanna, CAN Chairman in Niger State, confirmed that the escapees have since reunited with their parents.
Niger State Police said tactical units and the military are combing nearby forests in an ongoing effort to rescue any remaining abducted students.
The spate of attacks has prompted President Tinubu to cancel his planned trip to the G20 summit in South Africa, with Vice President Kashim Shettima attending in his stead. Security forces across the country have been placed on high alert.
The attacks follow similar incidents targeting Christian institutions, including a church in western Nigeria where two worshippers were killed during a service earlier this week and dozens were reportedly abducted. In Kwara State, gunmen who kidnapped 38 worshippers are reportedly demanding 100 million naira (about $69,000) per person in ransom.
These incidents come amid heightened international attention on Nigeria’s security situation, following remarks by former US President Donald Trump threatening military action over attacks on Christians — a narrative disputed by the Nigerian government, which maintains that Muslims constitute the majority of victims.
