KEBBI State Governor, Dr. Nasir Idris, has raised serious concerns over the withdrawal of military personnel from Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area, barely minutes before armed bandits stormed the school and abducted dozens of female students earlier in the week.
News Point Nigeria reports that speaking on Thursday while receiving the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, who led a delegation on a solidarity visit, Governor Idris said he was “deeply disturbed” by the sequence of events leading up to the tragic abduction.
According to the governor, troops stationed at the school reportedly pulled out around 3:00 a.m., despite prior intelligence warnings from the state government indicating imminent threats to the area.
The attackers invaded the school less than 45 minutes after the military’s departure.
“We provided intelligence reports. We gave timely alerts. So, who authorised the troop withdrawal at such a critical hour?” the governor asked, calling on military authorities to immediately launch a full-scale investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the decision.
Governor Idris noted that the withdrawal not only contradicted earlier assurances of strengthened security in high-risk communities but also exposed glaring lapses in the protection of vulnerable schools across the North-West.
“This situation is unacceptable. Our children should never be left unprotected especially in an area that has come under repeated attacks,” he said.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, expressed solidarity with the government and people of Kebbi State, describing the abduction as a national tragedy.
He urged federal security agencies to prioritise the safe recovery of the abducted students and to address structural failures that continue to endanger schoolchildren.
The abduction has triggered nationwide condemnation, reigniting concerns over the persistent targeting of schools by bandits despite federal and state commitments to bolster security under the Safe Schools initiative.
