In a moment of national relief, all 24 schoolgirls abducted from a boarding school in Kebbi State last week have been safely released, President Bola Tinubu announced on Tuesday.

The students, kidnapped amid rising bandit attacks in the region, returned home unharmed. Yet uncertainty persists over what truly led to their freedom.

The abduction took place on November 17 at Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area.

Armed attackers stormed the school shortly after a military team withdrew, killing the vice principal and injuring a security guard before escaping with 25 students. One student fled during the chaos, leaving 24 in captivity for more than a week.

Government Celebrates Rescue, But Questions Linger

President Tinubu praised the release as the result of a swift and coordinated operation by security agencies, led by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle.

Through his Special Adviser, Bayo Onanuga, the president expressed deep relief, saying, “I am relieved that all the 24 girls have been accounted for.” He ordered intensified efforts to rescue other captives across the country and promised to deploy more troops to rural communities vulnerable to attacks.

Matawalle, acting on Tinubu’s instructions, relocated to Kebbi to oversee the operation and later confirmed that a tactical team successfully secured the girls’ freedom.

The federal government also pointed to non-kinetic strategies, including coordination between the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Department of State Services, as part of the process, though specific details were withheld for operational reasons.

The situation sparked a series of similar incidents. In Eruku, Kwara State, gunmen kidnapped 38 worshippers from a church vigil on November 20; all were later freed after security pressure.

In Niger State, more than 300 pupils and teachers were taken from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Agwara LGA, though 50 of the missing children were later found at home, indicating some may have fled during the attack rather than being captured.

As insecurity escalated, Tinubu ordered the Nigerian Air Force to begin continuous aerial surveillance over forested zones in Kebbi, Kwara, and Niger states, with ground troops receiving real-time intelligence.

Communities were urged to promptly report suspicious movements. Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris demanded a full military investigation into why troops withdrew shortly before the attack, describing it as “clear sabotage.”

Bandit Video Sparks Public Outrage and Doubts Over Rescue Claims

Amid nationwide celebration, a disturbing propaganda video released by the kidnappers raised doubts about the official account. In the video, a gunman questions the girls about any overhead military jets which none were reported and boasts that authorities were unable to rescue them by force.

He claims their release came through negotiations with “leaders,” adding, “Your government has failed,” before permitting the girls to leave. The students said they were not mistreated, starved, or assaulted during captivity.

The footage supported local reports suggesting a negotiated release rather than a tactical rescue, intensifying public debate over the government’s approach to dealing with bandit groups. Critics argue that negotiations may empower criminal networks and encourage further abductions.

Human rights advocates and northern leaders renewed demands for better school security, warning that banditry in the North-West continues to uproot communities and weaken confidence in state protection.

Analysts note that while the girls’ safe return is a relief, the circumstances raise urgent questions about long-term solutions to insecurity.

As investigations continue, the Tinubu administration faces growing pressure to clarify what happened and to develop stronger strategies against the armed groups exploiting Nigeria’s remote regions.

The Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) is preparing to roll out a digital asset and liability declaration system aimed at enhancing transparency, reducing bureaucratic delays, and strengthening anti-corruption measures in Nigeria’s public service, according to the agency’s Chairman, Abdullahi Bello.

Speaking at a validation workshop in Abuja on Tuesday, Bello said the initiative is intended to replace the traditional paper-based system, which he described as “seldom analysed or used as tools against illicit enrichment.”

He added, “The old story must end. For too long, asset declaration has been seen as a bureaucratic ritual—forms hurriedly filled and forgotten, rarely analysed and rarely used as the powerful anti-corruption tool it was meant to be. This ends with the new ALDS.”

Bello explained that the platform will connect multiple national databases, including those of the Corporate Affairs Commission, land registries, and financial institutions, enabling real-time verification of public officers’ assets.

He added that the system will automatically flag undeclared companies, properties, and income streams, reducing dependence on manual reporting.

“By integrating with available databases, we will be able to discover assets in real time. You won’t need to tell us every property or company you own. The system will show it,” he said.

The chairman further noted that the Bureau plans to implement a graded service fee for political office holders and senior public servants to ensure sustainability, while junior staff or those unable to pay would receive waivers.

“We want an honest fee that is graded, with waivers for low-level public servants. We want to free ourselves from the burden of budget dependency,” he said.

Bello highlighted that the reform builds on the work of the CCB’s Forensic Accounting Unit, which currently analyses asset declarations submitted by former public officers.

He said the digital system will enhance the Bureau’s ability to monitor and enforce compliance with Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework.

Senator Neda Imasuen, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Code of Conduct and Public Petitions, praised the Bureau’s progress, particularly the introduction of a sustainable funding model.

Imasuen noted that the agency has struggled for years to fund basic administrative processes, such as printing paper declaration forms.

“I have always wondered why CCB wakes up in the morning and looks for funds all over the place to print forms so you and I can fill them out for free. It’s time we depart from this. We can pay a nominal amount for the form you’re coming to fill so the Bureau does not keep begging for funds to do what it ought to be doing,” he said.

The CCB has historically relied on a paper-based system that has faced criticism for inefficiency, vulnerability to abuse, and limited capacity for data analysis. Bello confirmed that the digital platform will become fully operational after validation, review, and stakeholder harmonisation.

He emphasized that the initiative marks a significant step forward in Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen accountability in public office.

“Will Nigeria finally have a world-class, corruption-resistant asset declaration system that serves both public servants and the Nigerian people? My answer, and I believe yours, is a resounding YES,” he stated.

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday ordered comprehensive aerial security patrols across forests in Kwara State after a surge in kidnappings and terrorist attacks.

His Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, disclosed this in a post on his verified X account, stating that the President has instructed the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to scale up surveillance over the deepest sections of the forests where criminal groups are believed to be hiding.

He said the deployment will run continuously, with air assets maintaining real-time communication and coordination with ground forces.

Dare added that the same directive extends to the Kebbi and Niger corridors, where joint operations are expected to aid the rescue of abducted persons.

Communities in the affected areas, he noted, have also been encouraged to quickly share intelligence on unusual activities to support security operations.

A recent surge of violent abductions and raids across Kwara, Kebbi and Niger States has highlighted the expanding reach of criminal networks exploiting remote forests and poorly governed spaces.

Tinubu’s instruction for uninterrupted air surveillance paired with coordinated ground action is described as an urgent and necessary step to dismantle these groups, free captives and restore public confidence.

Dare wrote in part:

“President Tinubu has ordered total security cordon over the forests in Kwara State following recent kidnappings and terrorist activities.

“President Tinubu directed the airforce to expand its air surveillance across the innermost parts of the forests in Kwara State where it is believed the terrorists are hiding.

“They are to maintain a 24-hour surveillance and link up with the booths on the ground. This order equally applies to the Kebbi and Niger States axis where many are expected to be rescued.

“Communities are also urged to provide timely information about strange movements and activities to aide the work of the security forces.”

The Presidency further revealed that intensified pressure from both the military and the Department of State Services (DSS) over the weekend led to the release of the 38 church members kidnapped in Eruku, Kwara State.

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said a non-kinetic strategy was used to secure the freedom of the 38 abducted worshippers.

In a statement appreciating the military and the DSS, Onanuga noted that the gunmen understood that failing to cooperate would have resulted in them being “pummelled”.

He explained:

“After the incident, the DSS and the military were involved in the rescue effort. They got in contact with the bandits to release the captives unharmed.

“On Sunday, they were able to get them out unharmed. They do have a way of tracking these people.

“The security agencies have a way of contacting these people. They (bandits) know the consequences of not acquiescing to government demands. They know they could be pummelled.”

Onanuga stressed that using force would have been dangerous because terrorists tend to hide behind abductees as “human shields”, increasing the risk of “collateral damage”.

He added that striking the criminals’ hideout could have endangered the hostages.

The presidential aide also stated that the military will determine “the next line of action” regarding the kidnappers.

The freed victims were seized from the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Eruku, Kwara State on November 18, 2025, and the Director-General of DSS, Adeola Ajayi, briefed President Tinubu on November 21 about the worsening national security situation.

Tinubu had announced on Sunday that all abductees had been released after receiving detailed security updates from top military and intelligence chiefs at the State House in Abuja.