Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris is demanding answers from the military after soldiers stationed at a school were withdrawn minutes before bandits attacked and abducted students. The governor revealed this troubling sequence of events while receiving the Minister of State for Defence, who was dispatched by President Bola Tinubu to oversee rescue efforts .
Governor Idris said the state government had received intelligence warning of a possible attack on the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga. In response, officials convened a security meeting where agencies assured them that personnel would be mobilized to the school . Military forces were indeed deployed to the area. However, in a critical turn, the soldiers were withdrawn from the school around 3:00 a.m. According to the governor, the bandits began their attack approximately 45 minutes later, at 3:45 a.m. . “Who authorised the military to withdraw?” Idris asked publicly, describing the situation as deeply disturbing . He has called for a full military investigation to identify who gave the order and to prevent such a security lapse from happening again .
The incident has triggered a significant response from the federal government. President Bola Tinubu directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to immediately relocate to Kebbi State . Matawalle, a former governor of Zamfara State familiar with handling bandit violence, is now coordinating the rescue operation from Birnin Kebbi . During a meeting with Governor Idris, the minister acknowledged the sensitivity of the situation. He informed the governor that top military commanders had joined him in the state to lead the mission . Security personnel have been deployed to strategic locations across Kebbi, Zamfara, and Niger states in an attempt to block possible escape routes for the abductors . The minister urged residents to remain calm and appealed for full cooperation from local communities to ensure a successful operation .
This abduction is not an isolated event but part of a wider pattern of violence in Nigeria. The country faces a complex web of security threats, including an Islamist insurgency by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the northeast. There is also rampant banditry in the northwest, where criminal groups carry out kidnappings for ransom . These bandits, motivated largely by money, have increasingly targeted schools. Abducting students has become a tactic for them to extract large ransoms . The security crisis in Nigeria is often more nuanced than simple religious conflict. Militant Islamist groups kill both Christians and Muslims, and bandit violence is primarily driven by financial gain rather than ideology .
The international community is watching Nigeria's security challenges closely. Recently, senior Nigerian officials held high-level meetings in Washington with US government agencies, including the White House and State Department . The US government signaled a renewed commitment to security collaboration with Nigeria. This partnership includes plans for expanded intelligence sharing and the supply of military equipment to support counter-terrorism operations . However, this cooperation exists alongside scrutiny. The violence in Nigeria has drawn international concern, with some foreign leaders making strong statements about protecting religious groups . The Nigerian government, in response, has worked to address what it calls "misconceptions" about the situation. Officials stress that the violence cuts across religious and ethnic communities and should not be mischaracterized in ways that deepen national divisions .
Beyond Nigeria's borders, the entire West Africa and Sahel region remains a hotspot for extremist groups. A recent United Nations report noted that groups like Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) are expanding their influence . The report highlighted a resurgence of ISGS activity along the Niger-Nigeria border, where the group is trying to consolidate its presence . The situation is complicated by regional political instability. Countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, now led by military juntas, have withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) . This has strained regional relations and security coordination at a time when a united counter-terrorism response is most needed. Regional bodies are struggling to mobilize a planned rapid deployment force in the face of these political and funding challenges .
In Kebbi, Governor Idris reaffirmed his government's commitment to working with military authorities to secure the safe return of the abducted schoolgirls . He expressed gratitude for the federal government's swift intervention and hope for a successful rescue, citing the defence minister's past experience with similar crises . The governor also noted that his administration has consistently prioritized security, providing vehicles and other logistical support to security agencies to improve their operational capacity . As the search for the students continues, the central question raised by Governor Idris hangs in the air: Why were the soldiers pulled out from the school just before the bandits struck? The demand for a transparent investigation into the troop withdrawal underscores the deep-seated challenges Nigeria faces in its protracted fight against insecurity .