All military personnel attached to the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, in the Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State—where 26 schoolgirls were abducted—are currently under interrogation at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, Saturday PUNCH has learnt. A senior government official told our correspondent that the Defence Headquarters had begun investigating the sudden withdrawal of military personnel from the school shortly before the abduction.
Terrorists stormed the school on November 17, killing the Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, and abducting 26 students. Two of the students later escaped, leaving 24 still in captivity. The abduction prompted outrage, with Governor Nasir Idris calling for a probe into the withdrawal of the military personnel. Speaking after a closed-door meeting with the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, the governor said the state government had previously received intelligence reports suggesting that the school was a likely target.
“We need to know why they left. We had intelligence; we provided security, so what happened?” the governor asked during the meeting. The District Head of Maga, Muhammad Dantani, said the military personnel left the school premises around 1 a.m. He explained, “Around midnight, I called to confirm whether the soldiers were still at their post and was told they were. But unknown to us, they left the school around 1 a.m., just shortly before the attack began. We still don’t know who gave the order or why they withdrew.
“When the bandits arrived, the police officers said they took cover because the attackers were too numerous, and engaging them would have meant certain death. With the army absent, the police felt any engagement would be suicidal. The attackers operated from around 1:30 a.m. until 3:30 a.m. without opposition.”
The abducted schoolchildren were freed on Tuesday after the Federal Government negotiated their release. The Kebbi State Government confirmed that medical examinations showed the girls were not sexually abused during captivity. The senior government official said Kebbi State was awaiting the outcome of the military investigation into who ordered the personnel to leave the school. “The military personnel who were stationed at the school have been summoned to Abuja for interrogation. They were summoned by the Defence Headquarters on Monday. We are following the case,” he said. The troops were reportedly from the Army Barracks in Zuru.
A security source confirmed the personnel had reported to the Defence Headquarters. “I don’t have all the details, but I learnt on Monday from colleagues in the army that the soldiers have reported. All the security heads are satisfied with operations in Kebbi and Niger, but the investigation is ongoing,” the source said.A top military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, added, “The military hierarchy is investigating the matter, and everyone attached to the school will be questioned to determine what went wrong. Anyone found culpable will definitely be brought to book.”
Efforts to obtain comments from the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, were unsuccessful. The Chief Press Secretary to the Kebbi State Governor, Ahmed Idris, said he could not confirm the summons, noting that the investigation is being handled by the Defence Headquarters.
Source: https://punchng.com/
