Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, says security forces are closing in on the terrorists holding abducted students of Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State.

Gunmen had stormed the school in the early hours of Monday, November 17, killing the Vice Principal, Malami Hassan Yakubu Makuku, and whisking away 25 female students.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in response, directed Matawalle to relocate to Kebbi to coordinate the ongoing security operations aimed at securing the girls’ release.

Speaking yesterday after arriving in the state, Matawalle assured Governor Nasir Idris that intelligence gathered so far indicates that the troops are “almost close” to the captors.

“The intelligence we have at hand shows that we are almost close to those children,” he said.

The Minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to work closely with the state authorities to ensure the safe rescue and reunion of the students with their families.

Matawalle, a former governor of Zamfara State, expressed confidence that the girls would be freed “in no distant time,” adding that the government would not relent until they are safely returned.

The incident has heightened concerns over insecurity in the North-West, coming amid reports of similar mass abductions, including the kidnapping of pupils and teachers in Niger State.