DHQ Summons Soldiers Who Allegedly Withdrew from Kebbi School Before Abduction
The Defence Headquarters has ordered all military personnel who were assigned to guard the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Danko/Wasagu LGA of Kebbi State, to report to Abuja for questioning following a brazen raid on the campus on 17 November 2025 that left the vice-principal dead and dozens of students taken.
Military sources and national reports indicate the interrogation is focused on why soldiers who had been posted to the school vacated their posts shortly before the attackers struck.
State officials and local traditional leaders stated that gunmen were able to operate in the area for hours after the security detachment withdrew, prompting immediate calls for an explanation from both the Kebbi government and the presidency.
Eyewitnesses and official statements give slightly different totals for the number of pupils taken. Local accounts initially put the number at 26 girls, while other reports used figures of 24 or 25; authorities say the discrepancy is being checked as part of ongoing rescue and accounting efforts.
The attack, which also resulted in the killing of the school’s vice-principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, triggered an outcry across the country and sharpened scrutiny of how military and police deployments are managed around vulnerable institutions.
President Bola Tinubu ordered the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to move to Kebbi to coordinate the response and to ensure the safe recovery of the abducted pupils, while the Defence Headquarters launched a formal inquiry into the circumstances that led to the security gap.
Officials say the soldiers summoned to Abuja are being questioned about the chain of command and any orders that may have led to their withdrawal.
Military spokesmen have not yet publicly released the outcome of the interviews; however, senior government figures told journalists that the probe will extend to commanders responsible for troop movements in the area. The investigation aims to determine whether the pullback was the result of operational decisions, poor communication, misjudgment of threat levels, or other failures.
The incident comes amid a sharp rise in high-profile abductions from schools across northern Nigeria, renewing painful memories of past mass kidnappings and intensifying pressure on federal and state security agencies to demonstrate that they can protect children and prosecute those responsible.
As the inquiry continues in Abuja, families of the missing pupils and local officials say they want rapid clarity and accountability from military and civilian leaders alike.
