The attack in Kebbi occurred amid a troubling wave of mass abductions across parts of the North. In the same period, armed groups kidnapped dozens of worshippers in Eruku, Kwara State, and several students in Papiri, Niger State.
Authorities confirmed that all 38 worshippers abducted during a church service in Eruku were freed on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State announced that 50 missing students of a Catholic school in the state had been located in their parents’ homes.
In a statement issued on Facebook, President Tinubu lauded the security operatives for their swift action and expressed relief over the safe return of the Kebbi schoolgirls.
“All the schoolgirls abducted in Kebbi State have been safely rescued. I must commend our security forces for their swift response, and the parents and community for their strength during this period,” the President said.
He also unveiled new instructions aimed at tightening security across affected regions. Tinubu directed a comprehensive security cordon around forests in Kwara State and ordered the Nigerian Air Force to maintain continuous aerial surveillance over remote terrains. The air operations, he said, must be fully synchronised with ground units to identify and neutralise hostile elements across the Kebbi–Niger axis.
Tinubu urged communities to report suspicious movements, stressing that intelligence from residents remains crucial as government intensifies efforts to secure troubled areas.
