Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has postponed his scheduled trip to South Africa for the Group of 20 summit to prioritize efforts to rescue 24 schoolgirls abducted earlier this week by armed assailants in Kebbi State.
A statement from the President’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed on Wednesday that Tinubu suspended his departure following the kidnapping and a separate attack on a church in which two people were killed. The postponement comes as security forces intensify operations to locate and free the students.
President Tinubu had been expected to depart on Wednesday ahead of the two-day summit of the world’s major economies set to start on Saturday. “Disturbed by the security breaches in Kebbi State and the attack against worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, the President has decided to delay his travel to the G20 summit,” Onanuga said. It remains unclear when Tinubu will resume plans to attend the international gathering in Johannesburg.
The schoolgirls were abducted late Sunday night from a secondary school in the town of Maga. Authorities said gunmen exchanged fire with security personnel before climbing the school perimeter fence and taking the students. One girl managed to escape, while the school’s vice principal was killed. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the motive remains under investigation. Officials note that the attackers are largely former herders who have resorted to armed violence against farming communities amid disputes over scarce resources.
In a separate incident on Tuesday, armed men attacked a church service in western Nigeria, killing two worshippers. The attack was recorded and circulated online, raising further concern about escalating violence in the region.
The situation has drawn international attention, with some supporters of former US President Donald Trump using the violence to claim that Christians in Nigeria are being targeted. Trump has threatened military intervention in Nigeria, warning he could respond “guns-a-blazing” to what he described as a “Christian genocide.” Nigerian authorities rejected these claims, highlighting that victims of insecurity across the country include both Muslims and Christians, with Muslims accounting for many casualties in ongoing communal conflicts.
Security forces continue to pursue the kidnappers, with local and federal authorities coordinating to secure the safe return of the abducted students and stabilize the affected communities.
