President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, said the abduction of 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi State and the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba and the brave soldiers who died in Borno State.

“Their families, and the families of the kidnapped schoolgirls, are in my prayers,” Tinubu said in a post on X.

“As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I am depressed with the tragic death of our soldiers and officers on active duty. May God comfort the families of Brigadier General Musa Uba and other fallen heroes.”

Gunmen kidnapped 25 people and killed a staff member in an early morning raid on a Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School on Monday.

The latest attack comes more than a decade after nearly 300 girls were abducted from Chibok in the restive northeastern region and sparked international outcry.

Since then, there has been a string of other abductions involving school children.

Police said the gang armed with “sophisticated weapons, shooting sporadically, stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School” in Kebbi state at about 4:00 am.

Police were deployed but “unfortunately, the suspected bandits had already scaled through the fence of the school and abducted twenty-five students from their hostel to unknown destination,” police said in a statement.

Two days earlier, ISWAP terrorists ambushed a Nigerian troop, which included operatives from the Civilian Joint Task Force. Uba and four soldiers were kidnapped and killed by the terrorits.

Initially, the army denied that Uba had been kidnapped and claimed that he was safe after soldiers successfully repelled the ambush. The military also denied that terrorists killed soldiers.

However, the terror group announced on Monday that it had captured and killed Uba. The group also shared photos to prove their criminal activity.

Reacting to the deaths and abduction of students, Tinubu said he has “directed the security agencies to act swiftly and bring the girls back to Kebbi State.

“I am fully apprised of the recent uptick in violent extremism in pockets across the country, and I have directed our security agencies to respond with urgency, clarity, and decisive action.”

He urged Nigerian communities to support the forces with sharing of information that can save lives and protect children.

“Those who threaten the safety of our citizens will face the full weight of the Nigerian state,” Tinubu said.