The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday strongly condemned the violent attack on the Government Girls School in Maga, Kebbi State, which left the vice principal dead and saw 25 students abducted.
The condemnation followed a motion presented by Senator Yahaya Abdullahi of Kebbi State during plenary, sparking intense deliberations on the escalating insecurity affecting schools across Nigeria. Okay News reports that the session, presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, included a closed-door discussion to strategize on a national response.
Former Senate President Ahmad Lawan decried the relentless attacks on educational institutions, stressing the grave risk to Nigeria’s future. “These children are our future. We have to do everything possible to get them back. Otherwise, the future of Nigeria will be compromised. But time is of the essence to our armed forces,” he said.
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia North emphasized that combating insecurity requires shared responsibility between federal and state governments. “Security should not only be the job of the Federal Government. I have never blamed former President Olusegun Obasanjo while I was a governor. I had gone out of my way to help Anambra and other states in terms of security,” he added.
Senator Victor Umeh of Anambra Central highlighted the urgent need to leverage technology in rescue operations, noting, “This matter is what many people don’t want to discuss anymore. But it is a matter of national importance. They were taken away and are still being moved around. So we urge security agencies to deploy their technology to find them.”
Senator Solomon Lalong of Plateau South questioned the effectiveness of the World Bank–supported Safe School Programme, drawing parallels with the abduction of the Chibok girls. “What has the girl child done to Nigeria? What is wrong with the Safe School programme funded by the World Bank, because I was also a part of it? This is the same fate that befell our Chibok girls. It should be treated as a matter of national security before it turns into another Chibok experience,” he remarked.
In response, Senate President Akpabio condemned the attack and called for a coordinated national effort. “The Senate condemns this dastardly act, especially violence against our children. We urge the Federal Government and security agencies to apprehend these criminals and rescue our children without delay,” he said, further questioning the means of transportation used by the attackers and announcing that senators’ inputs would contribute to the forthcoming national security summit.
He later directed lawmakers into a closed session and led a minute’s silence in memory of the vice principal and other victims.
Nigeria has continued to face repeated armed assaults on schools over the last decade, often by bandits or insurgent groups, resulting in deaths, mass abductions, and disrupted education. Security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the military, have launched search-and-rescue operations to locate the abducted students and apprehend the perpetrators.
