Army Chief Waidi Shaibu Storms Kebbi over Abducted Schoolgirls
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, made a decisive visit to Kebbi State on Monday, directing troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA to leave no stone unturned in the ongoing search-and-rescue operation for students abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) Maga in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area.
The COAS, accompanied by a strong delegation of Principal Staff Officers from Army Headquarters, held an operational meeting with frontline commanders before addressing the deployed troops.
Directives for Decisive, Intelligence-Based Missions.
In an emotionally charged message, Shaibu ordered the soldiers to intensify both day and night operations until all the abducted schoolgirls were safely rescued.
“You must continue day and night fighting. We must find these children,” he told the troops.
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He cautioned commanders that professionalism and a ruthless determination to succeed were essential, adding, “You must leverage intelligence to conduct intelligence-based missions. It has become a pattern that bandits target soft targets.”
Collaboration with Local Vigilantes
Lt.-Gen. Shaibu also held a separate engagement with local vigilantes and hunters supporting the operation. He emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration, describing the local forces as indispensable partners due to their deep knowledge of the terrain.
“Your hunters should storm the nooks and crannies of these forests. Soldiers will also join you. We are counting on you to work with us to bring lasting peace,” he said.
The Army Chief commended the vigilantes for their courage and assured them of the military’s full support, stressing that the criminals are trying to scare children from going to school, which the military will not allow.
Earlier in the day, Lt.-Gen. Shaibu paid a sympathy visit to the Traditional Ruler of Danko, Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim Allaje, and the Principal of the attacked school, Hajiya Rabi Musa Magaji. The Principal thanked the Army Chief for his swift visit, saying it “demonstrated the urgency” with which the military was treating the incident and had given them hope that the girls would soon return.
By PRNigeria
