ABUJA — Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has denounced the abduction of 25 students from Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, describing the attack as a “painful assault on children and educators.”
During a meeting with the Wives of Service Chiefs at the State House on Tuesday, Tinubu requested a minute of silence to honor Vice Principal Hassan Makuku, who was killed in the raid, and the abducted students. The delegation included Mrs. Sefiyan Shuaibu, Mrs. Ngozi Aneke, Mrs. Aishatu Abass, and Mrs. Elizabeth Egbetokun, representing the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Police Officers’ Wives Associations.
Tinubu praised the new service chiefs for their efforts to strengthen national security and applauded their spouses for supporting them and contributing to community welfare. She urged the group to collaborate with her office, recalling her past work with former service chiefs’ wives in programs for widows and veterans.
Acknowledging the risks faced by security personnel in Kebbi, Tinubu commended their commitment and stressed the importance of protecting lives. She also unveiled holiday initiatives through her NGO, the Renewed Hope Initiative, pledging N100 million in support for vulnerable groups. The plan includes financial assistance for persons with disabilities on December 3 and aid for the elderly on December 16.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered security agencies to intensify operations to rescue the abducted girls. In a statement, he said the government “will not relent until every child is safely returned.”
Elizabeth Egbetokun, who led the visiting wives, thanked the First Lady for her guidance and highlighted ongoing programs for widows, skill training, scholarships, and annual support for the elderly. She said the wives’ associations would continue to learn under Tinubu’s leadership and expand community‑based empowerment programs nationwide.
Parents of the abducted girls expressed anguish and demanded swift action. “We cannot sleep, we cannot eat. Our daughters must be brought back alive,” one father said outside the school. Teachers described the attack as “a tragedy for education in Kebbi,” warning that fear could drive families to withdraw children from school.
Civil society groups, including the Bring Back Our Girls campaign, urged the government to learn from past mass kidnappings. “We cannot keep repeating history. Schools must be safe zones,” the group said in a statement.
Security analysts noted that the attack underscores persistent insecurity in Nigeria’s northwest, where bandit groups exploit weak rural defenses. One analyst explained that schools remain easy targets because of limited protection in rural areas.
The First Lady’s remarks, blending condemnation with pledges of support, highlight both the urgency of the Kebbi crisis and the broader struggle to protect schools in Nigeria’s troubled northern region.
