President Bola Tinubu has condemned the abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi State and the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba and other soldiers in Borno State.

In a statement posted on his X handle on Wednesday, the President said, “I am heartbroken by the abduction of our daughters in Kebbi and the painful loss of Brigadier General Musa Uba and the brave soldiers who fell in Borno. Their families and the families of the kidnapped schoolgirls are in my prayers.”

Tinubu, who serves as Nigeria’s Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, added that he is “depressed with the tragic death of our soldiers and officers on active duty” and prayed for strength and comfort for the families affected.

He also lamented the attack on the school, stating, “I am also depressed that heartless terrorists have disrupted the education of innocent schoolgirls. I have directed the security agencies to act swiftly and bring the girls back to Kebbi State.”

The abductions took place in the early hours of Monday when armed men stormed the dormitory of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State. The attackers killed the school’s vice principal and a security guard before fleeing with 25 students.

One of the abducted girls reportedly escaped, while hunters and security forces continue a widespread search for the remaining missing students.

In a separate development, Brigadier General Musa Uba, commander of the Nigerian Army’s 25 Task Force Brigade in Damboa, Borno State, was ambushed and captured on Friday by fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province during a convoy operation near Wajiroko village.

The jihadist group claimed on Monday that it had executed the senior officer along with other captured soldiers. Although the Nigerian Army initially denied the claims, President Tinubu’s statement confirmed Uba’s death, describing him as among the “brave soldiers who fell in Borno.”