Kebbi: Security Experts Express Confidence in Matawalle’s Capacity to Rescue Abducted Schoolgirls Urge Federal Government to Reinstate the 2014 Safe Schools Initiative

A coalition of security analysts under the umbrella of the Keep Nigeria Safe Initiative (KNSI) has expressed strong confidence in the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, regarding his ability to secure the release of the students kidnapped recently in Kebbi State.

In a statement issued on Friday, the group commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his swift directive ordering Dr. Matawalle to immediately relocate to Kebbi State and remain there until the abducted schoolgirls are rescued.

Armed attackers had, in the early hours of Monday, 17th November 2025, stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town, Kebbi State, killing a staff member and abducting 24 students.

Following the incident, President Tinubu, through a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, instructed the Minister of State for Defence to proceed to Kebbi State on Friday to oversee the efforts of the military and other security agencies until the girls are safely recovered.

Reacting to the directive, KNSI, in a statement signed by its National Convener, Comrade Isaac Onoje, said the President’s mandate to Matawalle was thoughtful and in the best interest of national security.

According to the group, “For the President to have directed the Minister of State for Defence to relocate to Kebbi with the aim of deploying his expertise to rescue the abducted schoolgirls clearly shows that the President is firmly in charge as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and he understands the right buttons to press based on the track records of his appointees, whether civilian or uniformed.”

The security experts cited several incidents in Zamfara during Dr. Matawalle’s tenure as governor, highlighting how he successfully secured the release of thousands of kidnap victims at various times without paying ransom.

KNSI noted that Matawalle’s expertise in addressing mass abductions and implementing effective security measures significantly curtailed banditry, insecurity, and terrorism during his administration in Zamfara State.

“We are glad that the President acknowledged Matawalle’s bravery in 2021 when he successfully rescued nearly 300 female students of Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe, four days after their abduction. All the students were released unharmed and without ransom.

“It is also documented that in November 2020, Matawalle facilitated the unconditional rescue of 11 kidnap victims—ten males and one female—through a carrot-and-stick strategy that relied on non-kinetic measures and his security expertise.

“According to Daily Trust’s publication of April 2, 2021, Matawalle rescued more than 2,000 kidnap victims within his first two years as governor, with many additional successful rescue operations conducted up until May 2023.

“With his notable achievements in combating banditry and the progress recorded in confronting terrorists across the North West and other regions since becoming Minister of State for Defence, we have full confidence in him,” the group stated. It added that it would continue working with the minister and security agencies to combat insurgency and terrorism in Nigeria.

The group also urged the Federal Government to urgently reinstate the Safe Schools Initiative (SSI) introduced in 2014 under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Launched in May 2014, one month after the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, the SSI was a federal programme supported by development partners to protect students and teachers in high-risk areas.

Under the initiative, “some students were relocated from Borno, Yobe, and other vulnerable states to safer neighbouring states. The programme also mobilized funds for perimeter fencing and the installation of security equipment to safeguard school environments,” the group said.