By Aminu Alhussaini, Sokoto.
Fear and anguish swept through Kebbi State on Monday as yet another group of schoolgirls vanished into the hands of armed abductors prompting the Gender Educators Initiative (GEI) to issue an urgent call for decisive federal intervention.
GEI expressed “deep concern and distress” over the incident, describing it as a painful addition to the long list of violent attacks targeting schools in the North-West. According to the group, women, girls, and children continue to suffer the worst consequences of rising insecurity facing abductions, displacement, and widespread trauma.
Calling the abduction “heinous” and unacceptable, GEI urged the Federal Government to act swiftly to secure the safe and immediate release of the abducted students. The organization insisted that intelligence-driven operations and community-centered security strategies are urgently needed to prevent further attacks in the region.
In a statement signed and issued to newsmen in Sokoto by Executive Director of the initiative Shafa’atu Suleiman, the group listed key measures necessary to strengthen school and community safety, including revitalizing the Safe Schools Initiative, deploying trained security personnel, installing early-warning systems, and investing in community policing networks. GEI also emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration between security agencies and local communities to ensure real-time information sharing and more effective response strategies.
Beyond immediate security actions, GEI called for long-term solutions to address the root causes of instability in the North-West—such as poverty, unemployment, and lack of access to quality education, factors that continue to fuel violence and criminal activity.
Highlighting the disproportionate impact of insecurity on women and children, the organization urged the government to expand psychosocial support, trauma care, and shelters for survivors of violence.
GEI reaffirmed its solidarity with the families of the abducted girls and the Maga community, stressing that no child should be forced to choose between pursuing an education and staying alive.
“The lives and futures of our children depend on urgent action,” the statement concluded, reinforcing the group’s demand for swift, coordinated intervention to bring the schoolgirls home safely.