Chukwu Obinna 
Abuja, Nigeria — The 24 schoolgirls abducted in Maga, Kebbi State, have regained their freedom, the Presidency confirmed on Tuesday, marking a major breakthrough in a wave of recent mass kidnappings affecting northern Nigeria.
In a statement, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the President welcomed the release of the girls and commended security agencies for their efforts.
“I am relieved that all the 24 girls have been accounted for. Now, we must, as a matter of urgency, put more boots on the ground in vulnerable areas to avert further incidents of kidnapping. My government will offer all the assistance needed to achieve this,” President Tinubu said.
Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris also confirmed the rescue, stressing that no ransom was paid. “The Kebbi State Government did not pay a kobo, and neither did the Federal Government. The rescue was achieved solely through the efforts of the security agencies,” he said.
The governor added that the girls would be reunited with their families on Wednesday, expressing gratitude to the President for directing security agencies to prioritise the rescue operation.
The abduction occurred at dawn on 17 November, shortly after a military detachment reportedly left the school premises. The attackers killed the Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, before taking the students away.
The incident triggered similar attacks in Eruku, Kwara State, and Papiri in Niger State, intensifying concerns about renewed patterns of mass abductions. All 38 abducted victims in Eruku were freed on Sunday, while 50 missing students at a Catholic school in Niger were later found at home after fleeing during the attack.
Three days after the Kebbi incident, local authorities released the names of the abducted students, spanning Senior Secondary School and Junior Secondary School classes.
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