100,000 Soldiers Needed: Senate Reacts to Kebbi Girls’ Kidnapping

The Nigerian Senate has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately recruit at least 100,000 additional military personnel to strengthen national security in response to rising attacks on schools and communities.

The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance by Senator Abdullahi Yahaya (Kebbi North), who highlighted the recent abduction of 25 students from the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) in Maga, Kebbi State, during which the school’s vice principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, was killed.

“This terrorism targeting students must stop,” Yahaya said, describing the attack as a “slap on the face of our nation.” He also called on security agencies to immediately track down the perpetrators and urged the president to ensure justice is served.

In addition, the Senate established an ad hoc committee, comprising members from the Committee on Finance, to investigate the funding, spending, and effectiveness of the Safe School Initiative, raising concerns about whether the allocated funds were properly utilized to secure learning environments.

Also read: COAS Orders Intensified Hunt for Abducted Kebbi Schoolgirls

Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the recurring abductions as troubling, recalling the 2014 Chibok girls’ kidnapping and warning that the latest attacks have drawn international attention to Nigeria’s security challenges. Lawmakers observed a minute of silence in honor of the slain vice principal.

The Federal Government condemned the incident and reaffirmed its commitment to rescuing the abducted students. Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris stated that all relevant security and intelligence agencies had been directed to locate and safely return the girls.

Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris visited the school and met with parents, security officials, and traditional leaders, assuring families that every effort is being made to rescue the students.