Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State has faulted the withdrawal of military personnel from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, shortly before the abduction of students by bandits.
Bandits had early hours on Monday, invaded Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS), Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State killed the vice principal and whisked away 25 girls.
Idris spoke on Friday in Birnin Kebbi while receiving the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, who paid him a sympathy visit over the incident.
He described the situation as unfortunate, especially as Government had received intelligence reports on a planned attack and immediately convened a security meeting.
“As a responsive Government, when we received intelligence on a possible attack, we summoned a security meeting.
“The security agencies assured us that all was well and that personnel would be mobilised to the school.
“The military was deployed, but they later withdrew by 3 a.m., and by 3:45 a.m., then the incident happened,” he added.
The governor revealed that the state had demanded a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the withdrawal of soldiers before the girls were kidnapped.
He said clerics had also been directed to intensify prayers for the safe return of the victims and for peace in the state.
“What is happening in this country shows that enemies are working against this government. We return to God and continue to pray for divine intervention.”
Idris described the NLC president’s visit as historic, saying it demonstrated solidarity in a time of distress.
“We assure you that we will do everything humanly possible to rescue our daughters and return them safely to their homes,” the governor assured.
Earlier, Ajaero said the incident was worrisome and occurred at a time the state was recording significant progress in service delivery and development under Governor Idris.
He stated that the NLC believed the abduction was “more than a mere coincidence”, adding that any attempt to derail the state’s developmental strides would not succeed.
“Any attempt to stop the tide of progress will never succeed. We are ready to place the state side-by-side with others in terms of development.
“This is a distraction, but we urge you to stand firm. We sympathise with you and we are with you,” he told the governor.
The Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide has strongly flayed the conviction and sentencing of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB.
The Source reports that Kanu was on Thursday November 20, 2025. handed down a life sentence by a Federal High Court Abuja presided over by Justice James Omotosho.
The verdict climaxed years of Federal Government’s prosecution of the IPOB leader on a seven count charge bordering on terrorism and other related issues.
He was found guilty of all the seven charges preferred against him, four of which carry death penalties. He was, however, sentenced to life in jail in place of death sentence.
The Apex Socio-cultural Organization of the Igbo, however, in a statement from its spokesperson, Dr Ezechi Chukwu, on Friday November 21, 2025 while condemning the judgment, also described it as “deeply troubling and potentially capable of unsettling the peace and stability of the Country.”
The statement quoted the President General, Senator Azuta Mbata, as expressing the serious disappointment and concern of the entire Igbo nation in the Court’s decision, noting that the development has also provoked widespread concern over what not a few have come to perceive to be a pattern of discriminatory treatment in Kanu’s case .
“Beyond the legal questions, the Igbo nation is deeply troubled by the pattern of harsh treatment meted out in this case which many perceive as reflective of ethnic bias.
“This perception erodes trust in national institutions and touches directly on the dignity and integrity of the Igbo People”, the Ohaneze Ndigbo stated.
This is as the body expressed serious concern that the fate of the IPOB leader is bound to exacerbate the precarious security situation in the South East region.
According to the Ohaneze Ndigbo, the continued incarceration of Kanu has been a major driver and enabler of agitations, violence and killings in the region in the last few years.
Ohaneze, therefore, called on President Bola Tinubu to consider the urgent exploration of political options to resolving the situation in the overall interest of national unity, peace and stability.
According to it, resorting solely to the application of force will never yield any meaningful results in the present circumstances.
Rather, the umbrella body of the Igbo nation, insisted that high handed approach will only deepen instability and restlessness in the South East region.
The body further emphasized the need for the pursuit of justice, fairness and equity by the authorities, insisting that sensitivity and inclusiveness can preserve the unity we all desire in the country.
“His (Kanu’s) incarceration has become a flashpoint for unrest, frustration and radicalization. Continued hardline responses will only deepen instability.
” In the interest of national unity, peace and equity, we urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to adopt a political solution.
” Dialogue, not maximum punishment, offers the best path toward healing longstanding grievances, restoring calm in the South East and advancing true national reconciliation”, the Igbo Organization added.
The news of an alleged abduction of Students of St. Peter’s Foundation Secondary School, Rukubi, in Doma Local Government Area, Nasarawa on Friday has been debunked.
The Nasarawa State Police Command in a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Ramhan Nansel, described the viral accounts circulating across social media and some news outlets as “false” and not reflective of the actual events.
According to the statement, the alarm was triggered when students heading to the school field for Physical and Health Education classes sighted armed hunters in the area and fled in panic, mistaking them for kidnappers. Their teachers subsequently escorted them back to the school premises.
Nansel said the Commissioner of Police, Shetima Jauro Mohammed, immediately deployed a joint team of police officers and military personnel stationed within the vicinity after receiving the initial distress report.
“Upon arrival, it was discovered that the Students had sighted some hunters carrying Dane guns and, out of fear, fled, mistaking them for kidnappers.
“The area was thoroughly combed, and normalcy was immediately restored,” the statement said.
The Command urged the public to disregard the circulating reports, advising Journalists and Media Organisations to verify information before publication to avoid creating unnecessary panic.
“The report is mere rumour unworthy of publication as factual news,” the statement added.
Following security breaches in Kebbi and Niger states which led to the abduction of students, the Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board (PSUBEB) has directed the immediate closure of schools across the state.
The Government statement lists the affected schools as Government Junior Model Secondary Schools (GJMSSs) which will close effective Saturday, 22 November 2025, while Primary and Day Schools will close effective Monday, 24 November 2025.
The statement added that the decision is underscoring the urgent need for preventive action.
“The Board assures parents, guardians, and stakeholders that this closure is a temporary but necessary step to forestall potential threats and to reassure communities that the government is prioritizing the wellbeing of our learners.
“The Board calls on all Local Government Education Authorities, school administrators, and community leaders to cooperate fully with this directive and remain vigilant.”
Early in the week, 25 students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area, Kebbi state were kidnapped while the school vice principal was shot dead before dawn on Monday.
Early Friday morning, the bandits struck at St. Mary’s School, a Catholic institution located in Papiri community, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger and abducted yet to be identified number of students and staff.
Controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has justified the alleged genocide against Christians in Nigeria, saying Christians also killed Fulani herdsmen who are blamed for committing the crime.
Gumi made the remark on his Facebook page on Thursday amid the ongoing controversy to the effect that Christians are being targeted by Islamic terrorists.
On Thursday, the United States Congress conducted an investigations into the alleged Christians genocide, some weeks after President Donald Trump threatened to stop the terrorists if the Tinubu administration failed to do so. The US leader had warned that he was prepared to use military force against the country if the killings persist.
The magazine had earlier reported that Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Rinadu led a high- powered federal government’s delegation to the US, to try to douse rising tension with the two countries.
Gumi who had repeatedly advocated for negotiation with the bandits, said Christians are killed in the country, the same way bandits are killed, describing the current situation as attack and counterattack by the parties concerned.
According to him, the insecurity in the country is because resources are not distributed equitably, saying calm will return once all the groups in the country got their share of the national patrimony.
Gumi: “The Christians at ‘fault lines’ in war with herdsmen, do also attack and counterattack. They kill and they are also killed. We regret all loss of lives. Don’t talk of Tafawa Balewa, Yalwan Shandam, Kafanchan, Zangon Kataf, Kaduna crises, etc.
“There is no Christian genocide. I was in Kano, Lagos and Ibadan in the last two days. Christians are going about their business. They are in power, economy and security outfits.”
The cleric warned against foreign intervention to combat insecurity.
“The only option left is to utilise our national resources equitably to educate, develop and protect all Nigerians, herdsmen included. Any foreign military intervention would only worsen the precarious situation, as nobody can control these outlawed groups on both sides.”
Convicted leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been moved from the detention facility of the Department of State Service DSS, Abuja, to the Sokoto Correctional Centre.
The development followed his conviction and sentencing by a Federal High Court Abuja.
The Source reports that Kanu was, on Thursday, November 20, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by a Federal High Court presided over by the Honourable Justice James Omotosho.
He was found guilty of all seven count charges bordering on terrorism and related Offences preferred against him by the Federal Government of Nigeria
The judgment was the climax of the IPOB leader’s trial,which began, for the second time in 2021, after his rendition from Kenya.
Throughout his trial,Kanu was kept in the custody of the DSS.
However, he is to commence the service of his prison term at the Sokoto Custodial Centre.
Omotosho has ruled out Kuje Correctional Centre as not viable, and recommended that he be transferred to a convenient and secure Custodial Centre fit for his status, and where he would be in protective custody, considering the number of people who lost their lives in the South-east no thanks to his alleged activities and orders.
News of his movement to the Sokoto custodial centre was contained in a statement from the media office of the member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency at the National Assembly Hon Obinna Aguocha, on Friday November 21,2021.
While calling for prayers for the IPOB leader, Hon Aguocha also sued for calm among his supporters.
“” Hon Obi Aguocha, Member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/ Umuahia South ,has confirmed that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu ,has been relocated from the custody of the Department of State Service, DSS, to a secure Correctional Centre in Sokoto.
“He continues to call for calm and prayers across the South East,and beyond” the statement reads.
I’m utterly confused and disappointed that a Catholic Priest and Governor of Benue State could come out publicly and under the watch of camera and microphone to announce that there are no genocide in his state.
I weep not because of his speech, I wept because it is coming from a supposed Rev. Fr. Whom from today I will be addressing as Mr. Hyacinth Alia. He cease to be a Catholic Priest from my own personal belief (It’s not subject to argument. I’m a Catholic and he won’t administer any sacrament to me or my relations even after his tenure as a Governor).
Mr. Alia is a disgrace to not just the Priesthood, but to the entire Christendom.
RIP in advance to all those who spew lies and hatred to cover this genocide going on in this country.
The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora has assured parents whose wards were abducted during the attack on St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State that it is deeply involved in efforts to rescue the victims as early as possible.
It condemned the invasion of the school by armed men and abduction of students, teachers, and killing of a security guard in the early hours of Friday.
In a statement issued by the Diocesan Secretary, Rev. Fr. Jatau Joseph, the Diocese said the assailants invaded the school at midnight, during which a security personnel was shot and several members of the school community were taken away.
The statement read, “This is to inform us that armed attackers invaded St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Niger State, in the early hours of 21st November 2025, abducting some pupils, students, teachers, and a security personnel who was badly shot.
“The incident occurred between 1:00 am and 3:00 am, causing fear and distress within the school community.”
The Diocese condemned the attack and expressed deep concern for the safety of the kidnapped children and their families.
It said security agencies were immediately informed and have begun coordinated efforts to ensure the safe rescue and return of the victims.
The Bishop assured the public that the Diocese is actively collaborating with security operatives, community leaders, and government authorities to secure the victims’ safe return.
The Diocese appealed for calm, urged the public to support ongoing security operations, and called on everyone to pray for the safe and quick rescue of those abducted.
It also reaffirmed its commitment to the protection of children and said further updates would be provided as verified information becomes available.
School Management to be investigated for flouting order – Police
The Niger State Police Command on Friday November 21, 2025, vowed to track down those behind the dastardly invasion and kidnap of students of a Catholic school in the State.
The Source reports that some suspected terrorist elements, early Friday morning, invaded and kidnapped some students of St Mary’s School Papiri in Agwara Local Council of Niger state.
Although the actual number of those abducted by the hoodlums is yet to be ascertained, Local sources however put the figure at an estimated 53 pupils.
The unfortunate incident is coming less than four days after that of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Council of Kebbi state ,where banditry elements kidnapped 25 school girls from their hostel in the wee hours of Monday November 17.
A statement from the spokesperson for the Niger state police Command, W.A Abiodun, SP, informed that the incident at the Catholic school occurred at about 2.00 am on Friday November 21,2025.
According to the Police, the number of kidnapped students are yet to be ascertained.
This is as the Commissioner of Police, CP, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman affirmed the readiness and commitment of the Command in concert with other security agencies towards ensuring swift and safe rescue of the victims.
He also assured of a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding why the school was still in session against the Niger state Government’s earlier directives for all schools in the area to close owing to security challenges.
The Police Command, however, informed that police operatives, alongside other security personnel from sister agencies have been deployed to the scene.
CP Elleman pledged that nothing will be spared to ensure that ,the kidnapped students are safe rescued and reunited with their families.
“The Niger State Police Command wishes to confirm that on 21st November 2025 , at about 2.00 am, reports received indicated that some armed bandits invaded St Mary’s Private ( Catholic) Secondary School ,Papiri Agwara LGA and abducted a yet to be ascertained number of students from the School’s hostel.
However, police tactical units, military components and other security agencies have moved to the scene, combing the forecast with a view to rescuing the abducted students.
“In view of this, the Commissioner of Police, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, reiterated the Command’s commitment to rescuing the students unhurt, and appealed to members of the public to remain calm and support security operations.to rescue the students.
“He further assured that this incident will be investigated, and necessary action taken against the school management for continuing academic activities, contrary to the State Government directives on closure of schools in the area due to security challenges”,the Police stated
Nations rise or falter on the strength of their ability to convert moments of tension into opportunities for reconciliation and renewal. In Nigeria’s evolving democratic journey, rarely do we encounter moments when political leadership, moral consciousness, and historical necessity align in a manner so clear and compelling that the only reasonable response is a collective embrace of wisdom.
The recent statement by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, PhD, CFR, belongs firmly to this class of history’s defining signals. By affirming that all hope is not lost for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and by stating openly that a political solution is now not only possible but underway, the Deputy Speaker has provided the nation and the Southeast in particular with an anchor of responsible optimism.
His intervention is neither sentimental nor politically opportunistic. It is a mature reading of the delicate realities that surround the Kanu matter, realities which have shaped the emotional landscape of the Southeast for years and influenced national discourse in profound ways. In saying that Nigeria must look beyond the judicial verdict to explore a political pathway, the Deputy Speaker is essentially calling for the kind of statesmanship that has helped many nations navigate similar crises. He is asking Nigeria to rise to its finest democratic instincts.
Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu
The Southeast, over the past decade, has borne the heavy psychological, political, and economic weight of tensions that grew out of a complex mixture of historical grievances, unaddressed questions of justice, youthful frustration, and the emotional pull of identity. The incarceration of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu touches all these layers. It is not just a legal question. It is a symbol of deeper national conversations that remain unresolved. For this reason, any attempt to manage the issue purely as a legal matter will continue to fall short. It is this reality that the Deputy Speaker has masterfully articulated by pointing to the political solution that now stands before the nation.
History makes clear that the most enduring resolutions to conflicts with ethnic and ideological undertones do not emerge from courtroom verdicts, no matter how well intentioned. They emerge from dialogue, political creativity, negotiation, reconciliation, and the willingness of leadership to place national stability above the rigidity of procedure. From South Africa to Northern Ireland, from Colombia to Rwanda, and even within Nigeria’s own internal conflicts, it is diplomacy that ultimately resolves tensions where law alone cannot reach. The Deputy Speaker’s position aligns with this timeless principle.
More importantly, the statement has reopened a space for executive discretion, diplomatic engagement, and statesmanlike intervention. With the matter now concluded in court, the window for a political settlement is wide open. This is an opportunity that must not be wasted. The Deputy Speaker has essentially extended a hand, urging all stakeholders to step into that space with unity and resolve.
However, for this diplomatic momentum to achieve full impact, it must be supported by a coordinated and regionally owned action plan. A single voice cannot carry a burden this sensitive. What is required is a triangle of leadership composed of the Deputy Speaker, the governors of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Rivers, and Delta States, and the foremost traditional rulers whose moral authority remains unchallenged. Such a formation would represent political legitimacy, executive authority, and cultural authenticity. It would communicate to the President and the rest of the nation that the Southeast is approaching the matter not in agitation but through structured diplomacy.
This united front must articulate a harmonized regional position that is devoid of partisanship and free from the loud emotionalism that often undermines delicate negotiations. The issue at stake is not merely the fate of one man. It is the stability of an entire region and the psychological wellbeing of millions. It is the restoration of trust between a people and the Nigerian state. It is the laying of a foundation that will allow young people in the Southeast to reconnect with national institutions without suspicion or despair.
One of the most encouraging aspects of the Deputy Speaker’s statement is his confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. He notes clearly that the President is not opposed to a political solution. This is a critical sign. President Tinubu has a long history of engaging complex political challenges with a mixture of firmness and negotiation. His political instincts are often shaped by the belief that dialogue is not a sign of weakness but an instrument of stability. The Deputy Speaker’s assertion that the President is open to persuasion should therefore serve as a rallying point for every responsible leader in the Southeast.
With the right political and diplomatic approach anchored by the Deputy Speaker, the situation is certainly one of a win win. Nigeria is a country that has repeatedly demonstrated an understanding of political pragmatism, especially when dealing with matters that threaten national stability. A nation known to have several times engaged with terrorists of the Boko Haram extraction for the sake of restoring sanity in the northern part of the country will not have any moral, political, or historical grounds to reject a well thought out diplomatic approach initiated from east of the Niger. If the federal government could explore negotiation in the context of Boko Haram, whose operations constituted some of the gravest threats to national existence, then it is only logical that a political solution be extended to a matter that is infinitely more negotiable and less existential.
This argument is not a justification for impunity. It is a call for balance. It is an appeal to the superior wisdom that recognizes that justice, to be truly meaningful, must also serve the purpose of peace and cohesion. Nigeria cannot apply negotiation in the North but insist only on confrontation in the Southeast. Such asymmetry would undermine the foundational principle of fairness upon which lasting unity must be built. The Deputy Speaker’s approach prevents such dissonance by insisting on equity and consistency in national conflict resolution strategies.
However, while the Deputy Speaker and other leaders activate the political mechanics required to achieve this outcome, the people of the Southeast must maintain peace, calmness, and discipline. Emotions naturally run high, especially after a legal verdict of such magnitude. Yet history teaches that diplomacy excels in an atmosphere of stability. Negotiators need moral support, not public disorder. Every act of violence or disruption weakens the argument for a political solution and strengthens the hands of those who oppose it. Peace is therefore not a passive demand; it is an active contribution to the success of the ongoing diplomatic efforts.
The Southeast must also summon its finest virtues: patience, dignity, wisdom, and strategic unity. Divisiveness at this moment would be an unpardonable disservice to the region. Those who seek to stir unrest or exploit public emotions for personal advantage should be resisted. Diplomacy thrives on coherence. The stronger and more unified the regional voice, the more compelling the demand for political intervention will be at the federal level.
At the same time, Nigerians from all regions must see the Deputy Speaker’s approach not as a sectional agenda but as a national imperative. Resolving the Nnamdi Kanu issue politically will strengthen national cohesion, reduce tensions, and open the door for broader conversations around justice, equity, and the deeper structural questions that Nigeria must eventually confront. A peaceful Southeast contributes to a stable Nigeria. A politically resolved conflict improves the environment for development, investment, and interregional cooperation.
Moreover, this approach could serve as a model for resolving similar conflicts in the future. Nigeria must begin to institutionalize political solutions as instruments of national stability. The Deputy Speaker’s leadership in this regard sets a precedent that is both courageous and deeply patriotic.
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu
In conclusion, the Deputy Speaker has performed a rare act of political maturity by transforming a moment of distress into a pathway for hope. He has shown that leadership is not measured by noise but by the ability to read the currents of history and act with wisdom. His words have opened a door, and that door leads directly to a peaceful, diplomatic, and mutually beneficial resolution.
The responsibility now lies with the governors, royal fathers, intellectual leaders, elder statesmen, and civil society within the Southeast to rally around this vision. The moment requires unity. It requires clarity. It requires disciplined engagement. And above all, it requires a shared commitment to peace.
All hope is indeed not lost. A new window of history has opened. It is time for the Southeast to walk through it with dignity, strategy, and determination. The Deputy Speaker has provided the compass. The region must now provide the resolve.
