Nigeria’s security forces have been placed on high alert following a wave of recent attacks carried out by jihadist groups and criminal gangs. Among the most notable incidents is the abduction of around twenty schoolgirls in the northwest of the country, announced Information Minister Mohammed Idris on Wednesday.
Nigerian authorities are actively searching for 24 schoolgirls who were kidnapped from the Maga Girls’ School in Kebbi State, during the night from Sunday to Monday. Armed men, whose identities remain unknown, attacked the school, killing the deputy headmaster, Hassan Makuku. The responsibility for the attack has not yet been determined, although investigators are considering two possibilities: either jihadists or criminal gangs, both of which are a major threat in the country.
Mohammed Idris also condemned other recent attacks, including one on a church in Kwara State, where armed men killed two people during a Mass on Tuesday evening. Additionally, a jihadist group claimed responsibility for an ambush in Borno State, in which five security personnel, including an army general, were killed by fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The minister emphasized that these tragic events, the assassination of the general, the abduction of the schoolgirls, and the church attack, serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing threats the country faces.
In response to this escalating violence, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has ordered security forces to be placed on maximum alert. Mohammed Idris strongly condemned the actions of the « enemies of the nation, » including terrorists, bandits, and other criminal groups responsible for these attacks. The situation remains tense, with growing insecurity in many parts of the country.