• Twenty-four schoolgirls kidnapped from a Kebbi State school have been rescued.
• The abduction occurred on November 17, with armed men attacking the school.
• President Tinubu emphasizes the need for intensified security measures to prevent future kidnappings.
• The incident triggered additional kidnappings across other Nigerian states.
• Over 1,500 schoolchildren have been abducted in Nigeria since the infamous Chibok case.

Twenty-four girls who were abducted from their boarding school in Kebbi State on November 17 were officially rescued, according to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. The attack was carried out by armed assailants shortly after a military unit had left the premises. One student managed to escape during the incident, leaving 25 in captivity initially, though all 24 remaining girls have now been accounted for, as confirmed by both state authorities and the president’s office. The attack exemplifies a troubling trend in northern Nigeria, where armed gangs frequently target schools, often resulting in mass kidnappings for ransom, according to Reuters, Al Jazeera, BBC, and Africanews.

President Tinubu expressed relief at the safe return of the girls, stating, “We must put, as a matter of urgency, more boots on the ground in the vulnerable areas to avert further incidents of kidnapping.” He emphasized the importance of deploying more security personnel to regions at risk, as the mass abduction of schoolchildren has become a widespread concern in Nigeria, where armed groups have repeatedly overwhelmed local security forces. Tinubu's remarks follow a spate of similar incidents, which included a raid on a Catholic school where over 300 individuals were abducted just days earlier, as reported by Reuters, Al Jazeera, BBC, and Africanews.

The surge of kidnappings has made headlines globally, especially following the infamous Chibok incident in 2014. Since then, more than 1,500 children have faced similar fates in Nigeria, highlighting a persistent and dangerous reality of insecurity impacting schools across the region. Experts have noted that these kidnappings, driven by criminal organizations seeking ransom, have tragically become commonly accepted risks in many communities in northern Nigeria. The recent wave of abductions raises significant concerns, with many parents expressing desperation and fear for the safety of their children in educational settings, according to Reuters, Al Jazeera, BBC, and Africanews.