We Will Bring Back Your Daughters — Vice-President Shettima Assures Parents Of Kebbi Schoolgirls
We Will Bring Back Your Daughters — Vice-President Shettima Assures Parents Of Kebbi Schoolgirls
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, quoted the Vice President to have said, “Kebbi’s pain is Nigeria’s pain.”
Nigeria’s Vice-President, Kashim Shettima, on Wednesday conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s “deep anguish” over the abduction of schoolgirls from a boarding school in Maga, Kebbi State, as well as the killing of Brig Gen. Musa Uba and the school’s vice principal
Speaking in Birnin Kebbi on the President’s directive, Shettima described the attack as “an assault on the collective conscience of all Nigerians,” assuring victims’ families that the Federal Government would deploy “every instrument of the state” to ensure the safe return of the girls and bring the perpetrators to justice.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, quoted the Vice President to have said, “Kebbi’s pain is Nigeria’s pain.”
“When one child is taken, every home in this nation grieves. When girls in the safety of their classroom are seized by criminals, our collective conscience is assaulted,” the Vice President said.
He added that President Tinubu was “deeply troubled by this tragedy” and had insisted that “this is not a moment for politics… This is a time for unity, for compassion, and for firm resolve in the face of evil.”
“Our daughters must return home safely,” he emphasised.
Assuring parents of the abducted students, Shettima said the government would not rest until the girls are reunited with their families.
“Your tears, your fears, and your cries are a stain on our collective conscience. This government will not relent. We will use every instrument of the state to bring these girls home and ensure the perpetrators face the full weight of justice,” he vowed.
Shettima also paid tribute to Brig.-Gen. Musa Uba and the slain vice principal, promising support to their families.
“When a soldier gives his life in defence of the nation, a part of our collective soul is touched. His sacrifice will never be forgotten.”
Kebbi State Governor, Dr Muhammad Nasir Idris, expressed gratitude for President Tinubu’s prompt engagement with the state following the attacks. He said the President had maintained communication with him since the incident.
We, in Kebbi, are most touched by the show of concern and deepened actions being taken to rescue our girls. I am optimistic that they will be rescued,” the governor said.
He pledged the state’s continued collaboration with the Federal Government to secure the release of the abducted girls and prevent future attacks.
Shettima commended the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies for their continued sacrifice amid Nigeria’s security challenges.
“Your courage and tirelessness — often unseen and unsung — remain the backbone of our nation’s security. You stand on the frontlines so that the rest of us may sleep with hope,” he said.
The Vice President also praised community leaders, vigilante groups, traditional rulers and civil society partners for rallying to support security efforts in the wake of the tragedy.
Senior government officials, ministers, legislators, security chiefs, and the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nantawe Yitwada, were among those present during the visit.
SaharaReporters reports that the visit follows the early-Monday raid on the Maga boarding school in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, where gunmen killed the Vice Principal and abducted at least two dozen students.
The assault recalls a pattern of school kidnappings in northern states since 2014, including Birnin Yauri (Kebbi) in 2021.
