Kebbi Schoolgirls Abduction: Senate Opens Safe School Fund Investigation

The Senate has launched a full investigation into the Safe School Fund following the abduction of 25 schoolgirls from Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, amid renewed concerns over the effectiveness of billions allocated to secure schools nationwide.

According a report by VANGUARD, during Tuesday’s plenary, lawmakers condemned the attack, which also claimed the life of the school’s vice-principal and left the principal wounded. The chamber resolved to set up an ad hoc committee drawing members from its Committees on Finance, Education, Defence, Army and Navy to probe the Safe School Programme—its funding, utilisation and the security lapses that left schools vulnerable.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North), who led the motion, called for a comprehensive security overhaul and urged President Bola Tinubu to approve the recruitment of at least 100,000 additional military personnel to boost the country’s overstretched security forces.

Oshiomhole questioned why the Safe School Fund had failed to prevent repeated attacks on schools. “People have turned security into business. We should not monetise the death of our people. What happened to the money earmarked for the Safe School Programme?” he asked, adding that the military must adopt technology and tracking tools to hunt down criminal networks.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the attack as a national tragedy and emphasized the need for unity and collaboration to defeat insecurity. He said no country was immune to crime but insisted lawmakers must take decisions that significantly reduce violence across the country.

“We sympathise with the families of the victims, the vice-principal who was killed and the children now in captivity,” Akpabio said. “Our security agencies are overstretched. Terrorists strike in unpredictable locations, but we must act decisively to protect our children.”

Moving the motion earlier, Senator Adamu Aliero Abdullahi (Kebbi Central) recounted how the terrorists invaded the school despite limited police presence. He described the attack as a “slap in the face of the nation,” noting that similar mass abductions had occurred in Kebbi in previous years.

He warned that repeated attacks on educational institutions undermine learning and discourage parents from sending their children to school. Abdullahi urged federal authorities to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted girls and punish the perpetrators.

Other senators including Sani Musa (Niger East), Mohammed Tahir Monguno (Borno North), Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East), and Asuquo Ekpeyong (Cross River South) echoed concerns about overstretched security forces, poor coordination among agencies, and the need for citizens, traditional rulers and communities to support intelligence gathering.

Several lawmakers stressed that without accountability and stronger security structures, criminal networks would continue to target schools. They called for clear timelines, better coordination between the military and police, and proper deployment of resources to protect children in vulnerable regions.

The Senate concluded the session with a minute of silence in honour of the slain vice-principal and reiterated its call for urgent action to secure the release of the abducted schoolgirls.