President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday welcomed the release of 24 schoolgirls abducted by terrorists from Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State.

The students were taken on November 17, moments after a military detachment left the school. Their abduction sparked copycat kidnappings in Eruku, Kwara State, and Papiri, Niger State.

All 38 abducted victims in Eruku were freed on Sunday, while the Niger State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria also confirmed that 50 of the missing students from the Catholic school in Papiri had returned home.

The President commended security agencies for their coordinated efforts in securing the releases and urged them to intensify operations to rescue those still held captive.

“I am relieved that all 24 girls have been accounted for. Now, we must, as a matter of urgency, put more boots on the ground in vulnerable areas to avert further incidents of kidnapping. My government will offer all the assistance needed to achieve this,” Tinubu said in a statement.

The President reiterated his administration’s commitment to safeguarding schools and strengthening security nationwide.