By Ayomide Otitoju
Senator Garba Maidoki, representing Kebbi South, expressed optimism on Wednesday that the schoolgirls abducted in Kebbi State will be rescued soon. He spoke during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, days after gunmen kidnapped about 25 students from the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga.
“We have a fair idea where the girls are, and we are sure they have not moved outside the Kebbi South Senatorial District,” Maidoki said. “There is high hope that the girls will return home in one or two days.”
The abduction on Monday resulted in the death of the school’s vice principal, who tried to prevent the attackers from taking the students. Since the incident, the Federal Government has directed security agencies to secure the girls’ release.
Vice President Kashim Shettima visited the community on Wednesday, as instructed by President Bola Tinubu. Landing at Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi with the APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and other officials, Shettima reiterated the government’s commitment to the girls’ safe return and praised security forces for their ongoing efforts.
Describing the abduction as unfortunate, Shettima said the federal authorities would deploy all available resources to ensure the students’ release.
The attack has drawn global attention, with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) joining calls for the girls’ safe return. In response to the crisis, President Tinubu postponed his planned trips to South Africa and Angola.
The Kebbi abduction adds to Nigeria’s growing record of school kidnappings, including the notorious 2014 Chibok abduction in Borno State, which marked the beginning of a series of attacks on educational institutions nationwide.
