Garba Maidoki, the senator representing Kebbi South, has expressed confidence that the schoolgirls abducted in the state will be rescued soon.
Speaking on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme, the senator said the abductors have not moved the girls out of Kebbi South. He stated that security agencies and local contacts have provided strong indications about the area where the students are being held.
Maidoki said, “We have a fair idea where the girls are, and we are sure they have not moved outside the Kebbi south senatorial district.” He added that there is “high hope” the girls will return home within “one or two days.”
The lawmaker described the incident as “the most unfortunate week” of his life, noting that insecurity, which once felt distant when the Chibok schoolgirls were abducted in 2014, had now struck very close to home. He said the abduction in Maga has brought the crisis directly “into the middle of my house.”
Maidoki explained that he visited the community after the attack to console affected families. He noted that residents had been assured that security would improve when he and his colleagues won their elections.
According to him, “Security was the number one item on the agenda for my election.” He stressed that efforts would continue in collaboration with the federal government and security agencies to ensure the safe return of the children.
He further stated, “This will not be like the Chibok girls. They will come back home.”
The abduction in Maga adds to a growing list of school kidnappings across Nigeria in recent years. In 2014, Boko Haram abducted 276 students from Government Girls’ Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, and more than 90 of those students remain missing eleven years later.
Gunmen attacked Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, on Monday, killing the vice principal who attempted to resist the attackers before several students were abducted.
The federal government has since directed security agencies to rescue the girls. In line with the directive, Vice President Kashim Shettima visited the community on Wednesday on behalf of President Bola Tinubu.
During the visit, Shettima emphasised the “administration’s priority” of returning the children safely. He stated that the federal government would deploy every available measure to secure their release.
Following the attack in Kebbi and another violent incident in Kwara State, President Tinubu has postponed his scheduled trips to South Africa and Angola for the G20 and AU-EU engagements.
