Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State has pressed the military for a clear explanation after soldiers reportedly withdrew from the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga less than an hour before armed men stormed the premises and seized dozens of pupils. The governor disclosed that state authorities had received intelligence warning of an imminent attack. Security chiefs were summoned, and assurances were given that troops would hold their positions around the school. Yet, according to Idris, the soldiers pulled out around three in the morning. By a quarter to four, the raiders arrived, overpowering what little protection remained and fleeing with the girls into the forested border terrain. The governor’s voice carried a restrained tension as he described the sequence of events. He insisted that whoever authorized the withdrawal must be identified, noting that the timing struck him as too grave to ignore. In his telling, the promises made during the security meeting now sit uneasily beside the stark reality of missing children and a community sinking into fear. The presidency has since intervened. President Bola Tinubu directed the Vice President and the Minister of State for Defense to proceed to Kebbi and oversee the response. Local residents, shaken by the suddenness of the assault, have gathered for prayers, holding tightly to hope as search operations intensify. The atmosphere in Birnin Kebbi remains heavy. Each passing hour without news accelerates the anxiety. Yet the central question circles back to the soldiers who were meant to stand guard: why did they leave, and on whose command? Until that is answered, the governor’s demands remain, and never fading.
| 2025-11-22 12:02:44