*call on FG to revert to Safe Schools Initiative of 2014
A group of security analysts and experts, under the umbrella of Keep Nigeria Safe Initiative (KNSI), has expressed great confidence in the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle’s ability to rescue the victims of the recent kidnap in Kebbi State.
A press statement by the group on Friday, hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for swiftly ordering Matawalle to relocate to Kebbi State immediately until the school girls were rescued.
A group of gunmen had early hours of Monday, 17th November, 2025, invaded Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town, Kebbi State, abducting 24 students after killing a Staff.
Subsequently, the President, through a statement signed by his Special Advisor on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga on Thursday, requested the Minister of State for Defence, to relocate to Kebbi State on Friday, to monitor the efforts of the military and other security agencies until the school girls are rescued safely.
Reacting to this development on Friday, the Keep Nigeria Safe Initiative (KNSI), in a statement signed by the National Convener, Comrade Isaac Onoje, said the mandate given to Matawalle was well thought out and to the best interest of the nation.
“For the President to have asked the Minister of State for Defence to relocate to Kebbi with the aim to use his expertise to rescue the abducted school girls, shows clearly that the President is truly in charge as the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, and he as well, knows the right buttons to press to get results, based on antecedents of every of his appointees, be it civilians or uniform personnel”, the group said.
The security experts recalled several events in Zamfara when Dr. Matawalle was holding sway as Governor and how he managed all the situations by rescuing thousands of kidnapped victims at different times, without paying ransom.
KNSI posited that, the expertise of Matawalle in handling mass kidnapping and other security measures in curtailing the surge of the bandits, greatly helped in reducing insecurity and terrorism under his regime as Governor of Zamfara State.
“We are happy that the President acknowledged the bravery of Matawalle in 2021, when he managed the rescue of about 300 female students of Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe, in Zamfara State, four days after they were kidnapped by armed bandits. The bandits released all the hostages to Governor Matawalle safely without paying any ransom.
“It’s also on note that, as Governor of Zamfara State, Matawalle facilitated the unconditional rescue of another 11 kidnap victims in November 2020, without paying ransom.
“The victims, ten males and one female, were released through the carrot-and- stick initiative of his administration, using non-kinetic approach and security expertise to achieve it.
“It is on record as captured by Daily Trust Newspaper of 2nd April, 2021, that Matawalle rescued over 2000 kidnapped victims in his first 2 years as Governor of Zamfara State, with many other achievable rescue missions under his tenure, up until May 2023.
“With such recognizable breakthroughs in dealing with bandits and the successes he has recorded so far in crushing terrorists across North West and other areas since becoming Minister of State for Defence, Matawalle no doubt, has our confidence and support”, the group added, saying, it would continue to collaborate with the Minister and the security agencies in the fight against insurgencies and terrorism in Nigeria.
The group, however, called on the Federal Government, to as a matter of urgent national security, revert to the Safe Schools Initiative (SSI) that was operational in Nigeria in 2014, under President Goodluck Jonathan administration.
The SSI which was launched in May 2014, one month after over 200 school girls were abducted in Chibok, Borno State, was a Federal Government program, with support from Development Partners; to safeguard the students and teachers in high targets areas.
The group said, under such initiative, “some students were relocated from Borno, Yobe and other states, to the nearby states considered safe for them. The program was also used to generate funds for perimeter fencing and installation of security gadgets for the safety of school community”.
