The Federal Government is reportedly moving to establish a joint task force composed of personnel from the military, police, the DSS, and other security agencies to rescue kidnapped students.
This development follows a briefing to President Bola Tinubu by the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Tosin Ajayi, on the nation’s security situation amid a fresh wave of student abductions.
The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed the briefing on X on Saturday, stating, “The Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Mr Tosin Adeola Ajayi, briefed President Bola Tinubu on the security situation on Friday night.”
Photographs released after the meeting showed the DSS chief in the President’s office.
However, Onanuga did not issue a formal statement regarding the discussions.
An official familiar with the meeting told our correspondent that the talks primarily focused on planned operations to track and rescue abducted schoolchildren, particularly in the North-West and North-Central regions.
When asked to confirm the formation of the task force, the presidential spokesman told The PUNCH that such an arrangement “is possible,” but declined to provide further details.
The reported initiative comes in the wake of multiple abductions. At least 26 students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State were kidnapped in the early hours of Monday, while a separate attack on worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, left two worshippers dead and 38 others abducted.
On Friday, gunmen stormed St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Agwara LGA of Niger State, abducting over 303 children and 12 teachers.
In response to the Kebbi abduction, President Tinubu on Thursday directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to relocate to the state and “remain on ground” to coordinate security efforts and monitor the search for the missing girls.
