President Bola Tinubu has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to visit Kebbi State on Wednesday.

Shettima will sympathise with the Kebbi State Government and reassure parents and guardians of the kidnapped schoolgirls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School that efforts are underway for their swift release.

President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

The President also extended condolences to the military for the loss of soldiers, including Brigadier General Musa Uba, who died while on active duty combating insurgents in Borno State.

Tinubu said, “As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I am deeply saddened by the tragic death of our soldiers and officers on active duty. May God comfort the families of Brigadier General Musa Uba and other fallen heroes.

“I am also pained that heartless terrorists have disrupted the education of innocent schoolgirls. I have directed the security agencies to act swiftly and bring the girls back to Kebbi State.”


Tinubu commended Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris for efforts made to avert the kidnapping, while decrying the security breach that allowed the abduction of the girls from their boarding school in Maga. He urged communities nationwide, especially in high-risk areas, to provide information that could assist security forces.

“Our security forces cannot succeed in protecting us without the cooperation of local communities. I urge community leaders and citizens, particularly in areas facing security challenges, to share useful intelligence. Your cooperation is crucial in our fight against insecurity,” the President was quoted as saying.

The attack occurred shortly after the gunmen left the staff quarters. The school’s vice principal Hassan Makuku was killed while attempting to protect the students from abduction.

Witnesses said the attackers met no resistance, spreading panic across the community. Kebbi Police spokesman Nafiu Abubakar confirmed the incident, adding that police tactical teams, soldiers, and vigilantes have been deployed. Authorities are combing nearby forests to rescue the victims and apprehend the perpetrators.

Governor Idris, through his Chief Press Secretary Ahmed Idris, said Deputy Governor Umar Tafida had been dispatched to assess the situation, while the governor, currently out of the state, continues to receive security briefings.

Residents continue to mourn Makuku, whose bravery cost him his life, while parents remain anxious as the search for the abducted girls continues.

Photos from the school show a deserted hostel, with scattered belongings and empty bunk beds, capturing the chaos left behind after the gunmen stormed the dormitory on Sunday night.

The Kebbi State Government has clarified the number of abducted schoolgirls still in captivity, saying two of the kidnapped students have escaped from their abductors.

The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Halima Bande, made the clarification while speaking to Channels Television in Zuru on Tuesday.

Bande explained that bandits abducted 26 girls during the invasion, and although two managed to escape, 24 schoolgirls remain in captivity.

She identified the students who escaped as Salma and Hauwa’u Liman, confirming that they are now back and safe.

“Only two have escaped so far,” she stressed.

“This is a tragedy that has put everyone around us in trauma. We don’t know where they sleep, the food they eat, or the environment they are in,” Bande said.

The Commissioner also urged the general public to avoid spreading misleading information about the abduction, noting that there has been a lot of unauthentic information circulating about the incident.

“Therefore, I implore journalists and media outlets to rely only on authentic information regarding the incident,” she said.

The assailants attacked the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) in Maga, Kebbi State, taking away over 20 students.

President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja today for a two-nation visit to Johannesburg, South Africa and Luanda, Angola.

President Tinubu’s first stop is Johannesburg, where he will attend the 20th summit of the G20 Leaders. After the summit, he will proceed to Angola for the AU-EU summit.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, the South African leader who also serves as the current President of the G20 group, invited his Nigerian counterpart to participate in this year’s edition.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil had, during his Presidency of the group in 2024, equally invited President Tinubu to Rio de Janeiro.

The Summit, scheduled to take place from Saturday, November 22nd, to Sunday, November 23rd, at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, brings together leaders from the world’s top 20 economies, including the European Union, the African Union, and financial institutions, among others.

Themed, ‘Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,’ the two-day summit will afford participants the opportunity to deliberate extensively during three plenary sessions devoted to: Inclusive and Sustainable Growth, Leaving No One Behind: Building our economies, the role of trade, Financing for development and the

Debt burden; A Resilient World-the G20’s Contribution to Disaster Risk Reduction; Climate Change; Just Energy Transitions; Food Systems and A fair and Just Future for All: Critical Minerals; Decent Work; Artificial Intelligence.

President Tinubu is also expected to hold bilateral meetings during the Summit in furtherance of the Renewed Hope Agenda, as well as to discuss regional and international peace, security, and development.

At the conclusion of the G20 Summit, the Nigerian President will join other Heads of State and Government from the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) for the 7th meeting of the two bodies, scheduled to take place from November 24 to 25, 2025, in Luanda, Angola.

The AU and EU meeting will bring together young leaders, innovators and Civil Society Organisations to brainstorm on some of the shared challenges of the two unions. It will also provide recommendations on how to address issues related to climate change, inclusivity in development, infrastructure, the digital economy, the creative industry, manufacturing, and agribusiness.

President Tinubu will be accompanied by top government officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, Minister of Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed.

The President will return to Nigeria at the end of the two meetings.