President Bola Tinubu is holding a confidential meeting with the nation’s top security commanders at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, a development that comes amid a troubling wave of school kidnappings and violent attacks across northern Nigeria.
According to reports, those present at the meeting include the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyode; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Kelvin Aneke; the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas; the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General E.A.P. Undiendeye; and the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Waidi Shaibu. Also attending are the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Ajayi.
Though details of their discussions remain undisclosed, the meeting is believed to be connected to the recent string of abductions that have swept through several northern states, stirring nationwide concern.
The country is still reeling from the latest incident in Kebbi State, where gunmen stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga on November 17. During the pre-dawn attack, the assailants killed the school’s Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, before whisking away a number of schoolgirls. Eyewitnesses reported that the gunmen operated freely, causing widespread fear and leaving the community in deep mourning. Makuku was said to have been shot while attempting to shield the students.
As the nation struggled to come to terms with the Kebbi tragedy, heavily armed attackers struck again—this time in Niger State. On Friday, gunmen descended on St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, arriving on more than 60 motorcycles and accompanied by a vehicle. They shot the school’s gatekeeper, leaving him severely wounded, and proceeded to abduct 315 students and teachers from the Catholic-owned institution.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) later confirmed that fifty of the abducted pupils escaped between Friday and Saturday. According to CAN Chairman in Niger State, Most. Rev. Bulus Yohanna, who is also the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, the escapees reunited with their parents as they were unable to return to the school immediately. Yohanna’s media aide, Daniel Atori, explained that the update followed calls and visits to parents to verify the children’s whereabouts.
He noted that out of the 430 pupils in the primary section, 377 are boarders while 53 are non-boarders. Beyond the fifty students who found their way home, 141 pupils were not taken during the attack. The remaining figure, combined with the children of staff members, secondary school students, and teachers, leaves 253 individuals still with the abductors.
Meanwhile, the Niger State Police Command stated that security operatives, including military personnel and tactical units, have been deployed in a search operation. A police statement revealed that officers received a distress report at about 2 a.m. that armed men had stormed the school’s hostel and taken an unconfirmed number of students. Security agencies, it said, are combing the forests in an attempt to rescue the abducted children.
Nigeria’s security forces have been placed on heightened alert as the multiple attacks have brought renewed scrutiny of the country’s security challenges. President Tinubu also cancelled his planned trip to the G20 summit in South Africa in response to the worsening situation, with Vice President Kashim Shettima attending in his place, according to a statement posted on X.
The kidnappings come at a time when US President Donald Trump recently warned of potential military action over what he described as targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria—claims dismissed by the Nigerian government, which insists that Muslims represent the majority of victims of armed group violence. Trump’s remarks have gained traction among right-wing and evangelical groups abroad, further intensifying attention on Nigeria’s internal security crisis.
In another violent incident, armed men attacked a church in western Nigeria on Tuesday, killing two worshippers during a service that was being recorded and streamed online. A significant number of congregants were reportedly abducted. Separately, gunmen who kidnapped 38 worshippers from a church in Kwara State earlier in the week have demanded a ransom of 100 million naira per captive, according to a church official.
What you should know
Nigeria is facing a renewed wave of coordinated attacks, including large-scale school kidnappings and assaults on worship centres, prompting President Tinubu to intensify security measures and cancel international engagements.
The recent incidents have heightened domestic anxiety and drawn global attention, particularly following controversial comments from US President Donald Trump regarding violence against Nigerian Christians.
