President Bola Tinubu has put on hold his planned visits to Johannesburg, South Africa, and Luanda, Angola, as he awaits detailed security updates on the kidnapped schoolgirls in Kebbi State and the recent attack on worshippers at the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State.
In a statement released on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, it was disclosed that President Tinubu responded swiftly to the request made by the Kwara State Government by ordering an immediate deployment of additional security personnel to Eruku and the entire Ekiti Local Government Area.
The President also instructed the police to intensify efforts in pursuing the bandits responsible for the attack on the church.
Tinubu had been expected to depart Abuja on Wednesday for the 20th G20 Summit of leaders in South Africa, before proceeding to Luanda for the seventh AU-EU Summit. However, according to the presidential aide, the President will now await reports from Vice President Kashim Shettima, who has been directed to visit Kebbi State on his behalf. He will also receive updates from the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) concerning the situation in Kwara.
Onanuga explained that “President Tinubu was scheduled to leave Abuja today to attend the 20th G20 Summit of leaders in South Africa and thereafter proceed to Luanda to attend the 7th AU-EU Summit,” but the unfolding security concerns compelled him to suspend the trip.
He added that the President is “disturbed by the security breaches in Kebbi State and Monday’s attack by bandits against worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku,” prompting Tinubu to remain in the country until he receives the necessary briefings.
The President also restated his earlier directive to all security agencies, urging them to do everything within their power to locate and safely rescue the abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi State. He emphasized that their immediate return remains a top priority for his administration.
What You Should Know
President Bola Tinubu suspended his foreign travel plans to focus on the security challenges in Kebbi and Kwara States.
His decision follows the abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi and the deadly attack on worshippers in Eruku.
The President has deployed more security personnel to troubled areas and directed key agencies, including the police and DSS, to provide detailed reports as efforts to rescue the missing schoolgirls intensify.
