Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun arrived in Kebbi State on Tuesday in response to the abduction of students from Government Girls’ Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga.
During his visit, Egbetokun is expected to meet with Governor Nasir Idris and address personnel of the Nigeria Police Force in the state, Channels Television reports.
The visit follows a security briefing with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on Sunday, where the surge in school abductions across Kebbi, Niger, and Kwara states was discussed. The meeting included senior military and intelligence officials, including the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Defence Intelligence, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services.
The Kebbi incident occurred in the early hours of November 17, when bandits stormed the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, killing Vice Principal Malam Hassan Makuku while he tried to protect the students. Several students were abducted during the attack.
Meanwhile, in Niger State, armed men carried out another large-scale school abduction last Friday at St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School, Papiri. Reports indicate the assailants arrived in large numbers on over 60 motorcycles and a van. The school’s gatekeeper was shot and left critically injured.
The gunmen abducted 315 students, although 50 students later escaped, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria. CAN Chairman in Niger State and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Most Rev. Bulus Yohanna, confirmed that the escaping students regained freedom between Friday and Saturday.
Security agencies have heightened vigilance in both Kebbi and Niger states as investigations and rescue operations continue.