Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, has held a closed-door meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following a renewed surge in mass abductions and coordinated attacks across northern Nigeria. The briefing, which took place at the Presidential Villa on Friday night, reflects growing national anxiety over the state’s capacity to fulfil its constitutional duty to guarantee security and protect schoolchildren.
According to the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the meeting centred on current intelligence assessments and ongoing counter-terrorism efforts. No official details were released, underscoring the sensitivity of the developments.
FG activates joint task force as security failures deepen
The Federal Government has launched a multi-agency joint task force to track abductors and coordinate rescue operations across high-risk states. President Tinubu earlier directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to relocate to Kebbi State to oversee operations.
This follows international attention on Nigeria’s deteriorating security environment. U.S. President Donald Trump, after designating Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” offered assistance during a meeting between U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu in Washington.
Unprecedented wave of school abductions
The security crisis escalated sharply after St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger State, was attacked at about 2:00 a.m. on Friday. According to verified figures released by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), 315 individuals were kidnapped—303 students and 12 teachers.
Witnesses reported that the attackers arrived on more than 60 motorcycles, killed the school’s gateman, and overwhelmed local security.
Before the Niger incident, 25 schoolgirls were abducted in Maga, Kebbi State, on Sunday. In a related attack in Eruku, Kwara State, 38 people were abducted and at least two killed, with the assailants demanding ₦100 million per victim.
Police authorities say search operations across forests and border pathways have intensified. The Niger State Commissioner of Police, Abdullahi Elleman, confirmed that action will also be taken against the school management for violating a state-wide shutdown order issued due to security threats.
Government enforces nationwide school closures
In response to the wave of attacks, the Federal Government has ordered the closure of 41 Federal Unity Colleges, citing “recent security challenges” and the urgent need to prevent further breaches. Several states have also shut down schools.
The closures raise significant constitutional questions about Nigeria’s ability to safeguard the right to education, which is guaranteed under Section 18 of the Constitution and protected by various international treaties to which Nigeria is a party.
Misinformation spreads amid panic
Amid rising anxiety, the Nasarawa State Police Command dispelled rumours that two pupils were abducted from St. Peter’s Academy in Rukubi, describing the report as false.
The proliferation of misinformation, analysts warn, poses additional challenges for law enforcement and undermines public trust in state institutions.
Tinubu postpones foreign trips to manage crisis
President Tinubu has cancelled planned visits to Johannesburg and Angola for the G20 and AU-EU summits, choosing instead to coordinate security responses internally.
Legal and security experts note that the current crisis tests Nigeria’s capacity to fulfil Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, which places the security and welfare of the people as the primary purpose of government.
With pressure mounting at home and abroad, the Presidency faces urgent demands for decisive action to restore public confidence, secure schools, and address structural weaknesses that have allowed mass abductions to continue.
