DSS Boss Briefs Tinubu As US Offers Support Over Worsening School Abductions

The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, has briefed President Bola Tinubu on the rising insecurity across the country, following a surge in abductions and violent attacks, especially in northern Nigeria.

Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the meeting in a statement on Saturday, noting that Ajayi met with the President at the Presidential Villa late Friday. Photos released from the visit showed the DSS DG in discussions with the President, though details of the briefing remain undisclosed.

According to officials, the meeting centred on the country’s deteriorating security situation.

The Federal Government has since activated a joint task force comprising all security agencies to search the northern region for abducted students. President Tinubu also directed the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to relocate to Kebbi State to coordinate rescue operations.

Meanwhile, international attention has intensified. United States President Donald Trump has pledged support to Nigeria following recent school kidnappings. The offer was conveyed during a meeting in Washington between US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

This comes after the United States designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” with Trump warning of consequences over reported persecution of Christians.

A Wave of Abductions

Public outrage continues to mount as kidnappers carry out coordinated attacks in several states.

In Niger State, gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, at about 2 a.m. on Friday, abducting hundreds of students and staff. Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the incident, saying security operatives were combing nearby forests.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State chapter, later revealed that 315 persons were abducted, including 303 students and 12 teachers.

Witnesses said the armed men arrived on more than 60 motorcycles and killed the school’s gatekeeper before herding victims away.

Before the Niger attack, gunmen kidnapped 25 schoolgirls in Maga, Kebbi State, on Sunday night.

Similarly, in Eruku, Kwara State, 38 worshippers were abducted and two killed during an attack on the Christ Apostolic Church, with the kidnappers demanding ?100 million ransom per victim.

Schools Shut Down Nationwide

Amid growing threats, the Federal Government has ordered the closure of 41 Federal Unity Colleges. Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, approved the shutdown citing “recent security challenges.”

Several northern states have also shut down vulnerable schools.

A false alarm in Nasarawa State on Friday briefly heightened panic after rumours circulated that two pupils had been abducted from St Peter’s Academy, Rukubi. The police later debunked the claim, assuring residents that no abduction occurred.

With the President cancelling planned trips to Johannesburg and Angola to focus on national security, pressure continues to mount on the government to deliver swift, coordinated solutions to the escalating crisis.