Nigeria’s security forces were on an intense manhunt Wednesday for 24 abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi State, as the country reeled from a separate deadly attack on a church in the west—violence that has renewed national and international scrutiny on Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
The search operation comes after gunmen stormed a secondary school in Maga, northwestern Kebbi, abducting the girls during a night raid between Sunday and Monday. One girl reportedly managed to escape, but the school’s vice-principal was killed in the attack.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris confirmed that all security agencies had been placed on “the highest alert ever”, as the government seeks to counter a surge in kidnappings, banditry, and extremist violence across multiple regions.
A Church Service Turned Deadly
Just a day after the school attack, another tragedy struck in Eruku, Kwara State, where heavily armed gunmen attacked a church service on Tuesday. The assault—captured on the church’s live-streamed video—showed worshippers scrambling for safety as gunfire erupted outside. Children can be heard screaming as gunmen chased worshippers and stole personal belongings.
Police in Eruku said they responded swiftly alongside local vigilantes, forcing the attackers to flee into nearby forested areas. Two men were killed and a third seriously injured.
Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has since requested the immediate deployment of additional security personnel to restore order in the region, which has seen a series of violent attacks in recent months.
Political Pressure and International Spotlight
The twin attacks come amid heightened political sensitivity. Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened potential military action over what he called the killing of Nigerian Christians—a claim Abuja strongly rejected, insisting that extremists and criminal gangs target both Christians and Muslims, often indiscriminately.
Nigeria’s government maintains it is engaged in “security cooperation discussions” with Washington, while stressing that the narrative of targeted Christian killings does not reflect the broader reality on the ground. State police later confirmed that the recently abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi were all Muslim.
Tinubu’s Emergency Measures
President Bola Tinubu condemned the attacks and announced an aggressive response.
He has reportedly deployed additional military units to “actively pursue and eliminate terrorists, bandits, and criminal elements wherever they may be.”
Vice-President Kashim Shettima travelled to Kebbi on Wednesday to meet affected families and coordinate efforts with local authorities.
“We’ll use every instrument of the state to bring these girls home,” he assured families, vowing that the perpetrators would face the “full weight of justice.”
A Country Under Siege
The violence comes as Nigeria battles multiple overlapping conflicts:
Jihadist insurgencies in the northeast
Banditry and mass kidnappings in the northwest
Intercommunal clashes and land disputes in the Middle Belt
Attacks targeting both mosques and churches across several states
Only hours before the church shooting, President Tinubu confirmed the death of Brigadier General Musa Uba, who succumbed to injuries after being ambushed in Borno State. He was the highest-ranking military officer killed in Nigeria’s jihadist conflict since 2021.
Kwara’s forests have become known hideouts for criminal gangs, prompting Tinubu in October to authorize a military sweep to dismantle these bases.
Families Wait, Nation Watches
As the search continues across Kebbi’s rugged terrain, families of the abducted girls cling to hope. Security forces say they are expanding ground and aerial operations, but the threat of armed groups remains widespread.
Nigeria once again finds itself confronting uncomfortable questions about safety, political stability, and the ability of its security forces to protect its citizens in the face of escalating violence.
