Kebbi State, Nigeria – Twenty-four schoolgirls abducted from a government girls’ boarding school in northwestern Nigeria last week have been safely released, the Nigerian presidency confirmed on Tuesday.

President Bola Tinubu welcomed the girls’ release and urged security forces to intensify operations to rescue other captives still held in the region, which has been plagued by frequent school kidnappings.

“I am relieved that all the 24 girls have been accounted for. Now we must put, as a matter of urgency, more boots on the ground in the vulnerable areas to avert further incidents of kidnapping. My government will offer all the assistance needed to achieve this,” Tinubu said.

Details of the Kebbi State Abduction

The girls were seized on November 17, 2025, when armed men stormed their school shortly after a military detachment left the premises. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and no ransom demands have been reported so far.

Mass kidnappings for ransom have become increasingly common in northern Nigeria, where armed gangs frequently target schools, rural communities, and isolated villages, often overwhelming local security forces.

Other Recent Kidnappings in Nigeria

In a separate incident on Tuesday, gunmen abducted 10 women and children from a village in Kwara State, western Nigeria. Police reported that the attackers, described as a group of “herders,” had fired sporadically during the raid on the village of Isapa, which borders another area where 35 people were kidnapped just a week earlier.

The largest recent abduction occurred in Niger State, where attackers raided a Catholic school and seized over 300 students and staff, although 50 students managed to escape over the following weekend.

Emotional Impact on Families

The kidnappings have caused immense distress among parents and communities. Families of young victims, including nursery-aged children, have described the uncertainty of their children’s condition as devastating.

“My son is a small boy. He doesn’t even know how to talk,” said Michael Ibrahim, whose four-year-old child was abducted. “We don’t know the condition in which the boy is.”

Another parent, Sunday Isaiku, added: “I need my child back. I need my child back. If I had the power to bring my child back, I would do it.”

Government Response

President Tinubu’s administration has promised to increase security presence in vulnerable regions and provide all necessary assistance to prevent further kidnappings. Authorities continue to work to locate other captives and dismantle the criminal networks responsible for these attacks.