The Senate has asked President Bola Tinubu to order the immediate recruitment of at least 100,000 additional military personnel to boost the fight against worsening insecurity across the country.
The resolution followed a motion raised by Senator Abdullahi Yahaya from Kebbi North, who reported the latest attack on communities in Kebbi South. Terrorists invaded the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga and abducted 25 students while also injuring the principal.
Calling the attack a slap on the face of our nation, Yahaya said repeated assaults on schools put lives at risk and scare girls away from education. He reminded lawmakers of a similar school abduction in the state in 2022, noting that it took four years before the victims were freed. He said, “This terrorism targeting students must stop.”
He urged security agencies to track down the attackers and called on the President to ensure the kidnappers are brought to justice.
The Senate also formed an ad hoc committee, including the Committee on Finance, to investigate how funds under the Safe School Initiative were used. Many lawmakers questioned whether the money meant to secure schools had been properly applied.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the attacks as a troubling recurrence. He recalled the kidnapping of the Chibok girls in 2014 and said the world is watching Nigeria’s response.
“A minute of silence was held in honour of the vice principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, who was killed while trying to protect the students.”
According to locals, the bandits stormed the school on Sunday night and took the girls away after killing Makuku. Witnesses said the attackers met no resistance and left the entire region in fear.
The Federal Government condemned the attack. The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, said security and intelligence agencies have been ordered to locate, rescue, and safely return the girls. He said the government stands with the parents in their pain and that President Tinubu has reaffirmed that protecting Nigerians, especially schoolchildren, is a key responsibility of the state.
Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris also visited the community. After meeting with parents and security agencies, he said, “We gave them confidence, and we gave them our word that we will do everything possible to ensure that their children are rescued.”
