There are strong indications that the alleged failure by relevant law enforcement agencies to act on credible intelligence provided by the Department of State Services (DSS) resulted in the kidnap incident at the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
Suspected gunmen had, in the wee hours of Sunday, attacked the school, reportedly shooting dead the vice principal and kidnapping 25 female students.
Three of the students managed to escape. New Telegraph learnt from highly-placed sources that the Kebbi State Governor, Mohammed Idris, on Monday night fumed over what he described as the failure of the relevant operatives to act on credible intelligence provided by the secret service.
Investigation revealed that the DSS had alerted relevant authorities to an imminent threat of attack on the school. A top security source confirmed that Governor Idris, who arrived at the school, at about 6.45pm on Monday, accused unnamed security agencies of sabotaging security efforts made by his administration. “This is clear sabotage.
We got credible intelligence from the Department of State Services (DSS) that this school was likely to be attacked. DSS further advised that we convene an emergency Security Council meeting which we did. “And the decision was that we would provide round-the-clock protection for the students,” said the governor.
This was as he explained that he took the DSS report seriously, bearing in mind that the failure to dutifully use a similar intelligence led to the December 2020 kidnap of over 300 pupils of a school in Kankara, Katsina State. The governor lamented that deployments were made to secure the school.
It was learnt that the heavily-armed security men spent time taking photographs with the students, only to abandon them 30 minutes before the attack. Accompanied by security chiefs in the state, Governor Idris announced the setting up of a special investigation panel to unravel how, despite the DSS intelligence, and efforts by the state government, the kidnappers still struck.
“The panel, which will also oversee the safe return of the kidnapped students, the governor further said, would be headed by the state DSS director. “The good news is that there is sufficient reason to believe that the girls were kidnapped, not killed. With ongoing efforts by the federal and state governments, we are hopeful that they will all be rescued”.
Meanwhile, Governor Idris has assured parents of the abducted girls of the government’s unwavering determination to rescue their children unhurt. Idris gave the assurance while addressing newsmen in Maga shortly after a meeting with security agencies, traditional leaders, parents of the abducted children, and other stakeholders on the situation.
