…As leaders demand overhaul of Nigeria’s security framework
Nigeria is reeling from a wave of violent attacks that have intensified fears about the country’s worsening security crisis. In the early hours of Monday, heavily armed bandits stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Danko/Wasagu LGA of Kebbi State, killing Vice-Principal Malam Hassan Yakubu Makuku and abducting at least 25 students.
Witnesses said the attackers breached the school perimeter with little resistance, plunging the community into panic and grief. Hours later, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) claimed responsibility for a deadly ambush in Borno State, announcing that it had killed Brigadier-General M. Uba during an attack on a military convoy along the Damboa–Wajiroko road.
Multiple sources confirmed that the senior officer was captured alive and executed shortly after participating in counterterrorism operations in the area, despite military denials.
The twin tragedies have prompted national outrage and renewed scrutiny of Nigeria’s security architecture. President Bola Tinubu, through the Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris, condemned the Kebbi school attack and vowed a swift rescue operation. He reaffirmed the government’s “solemn responsibility” to protect citizens and said security and intelligence agencies had been directed to track down and rescue the abducted schoolgirls.
Tinubu added that Nigeria is recalibrating its military and strengthening regional cooperation through ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to disrupt terrorist networks.
Defence Minister, Bello Matawalle also condemned the Kebbi attack, disclosing that Tinubu has ordered a coordinated rescue mission and urged residents to remain calm as operations intensify.
Former vice-president Atiku Abubakar described the Kebbi abductions and the killing of the school official as further evidence that Nigeria’s insecurity “has reached intolerable levels.” He also condemned fresh killings and kidnappings in Zamfara, Kano, Plateau, and Benue, calling for an urgent overhaul of the security framework and deployment of more personnel to vulnerable communities.
On his part, human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore sharply criticised what he called the government’s “muted response” to both the Kebbi and Borno incidents. He argued that the silence of President Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police reflects a deep failure of leadership, adding that “a nation where schoolgirls are kidnapped and senior military officers murdered while leaders remain quiet is a failed state”.
The attack in Kebbi adds to a resurgence of mass school kidnappings across northern Nigeria, echoing earlier tragedies such as the 2014 Chibok abduction and the 2021 kidnapping of over 100 students in Birnin Yauri, many of whom are still missing.
Security analysts say the latest incident underscores persistent gaps in intelligence, early-warning systems, and protection for schools, despite repeated government assurances.
As of press time, security agencies had not released the exact number of abducted students, and formal statements from key institutions remained limited. The nation waits anxiously as rescue efforts continue.
