Army Boss Orders Tough Search For Abducted Kebbi Schoolgirls

Army intensifies search for abducted Kebbi schoolgirls.
Shaibu urges troops and vigilantes to sustain operations.
Military vows full commitment to rescuing all victims.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Waidi Shaibu, has directed troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA to intensify search-and-rescue operations for the schoolgirls abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, in the Danko Wasagu area of Kebbi State.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that gunmen had on Monday killed the school’s Vice Principal, Hassan Yakubu Makuku, before abducting twenty five students during a late-night attack that sent shockwaves through the community.

During his visit to Kebbi, Lt Gen Shaibu instructed soldiers to maintain pressure on the kidnappers through sustained day and night operations. He reaffirmed the army’s commitment to recovering all victims, stating, “We must find these children.”

According to counter-insurgency sources, the army chief arrived with senior officers from Army Headquarters and first held an operational session with frontline commanders before addressing troops deployed for the rescue mission. Shaibu reminded them that determination, speed, and intelligence-driven operations were essential to a successful outcome.

“You must continue day and night fighting. For the commanders here, you must leverage intelligence to conduct intelligence-based missions. Bandits target soft locations. If they know you are present, they will not come. And if they confront you, you can defeat them, can’t you?” he said.

Shaibu stressed that prompt responses to credible information were critical, adding, “This is not just about our image. It is about doing our job properly.”

He also met with vigilantes and hunters supporting the military effort, describing them as essential partners whose local expertise was invaluable. “You know these forests. You will tell us where the criminals are. Your hunters should storm the nooks and crannies of these forests. Soldiers will also join you,” he said.

The army chief later visited community leaders and school authorities, assuring them that the full strength of the military had been deployed to rescue the missing students.

“We are fully committed. The safety of these children is a national priority, and we will not relent until they return home safely,” he said.