‎ WHO WITHDREW SOLDIERS FROM MAGA SCHOOL? – MURIC

MUSLIM RIGHTS CONCERN (MURIC)

‎هيئة حقوق المسلمين

‎Motto: Dialogue, Not Violence

‎24^th January, 2026

‎‎PRESS RELEASE:

‎ WHO WITHDREW SOLDIERS FROM MAGA SCHOOL? – MURIC

‎A faith-based civil society organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has raised concern about the identity of the person or persons behind the withdrawal of soldiers from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area where 25 female students were kidnapped by bandits on Monday, 17^th November 2025.

In a statement issued on Saturday, 24^th January, 2026 by its Executive Director, the group said Nigerians want to know why the Defence Headquaters (DHQ) is yet to make its findings into the mysterious withdrawal public.

MURIC also added:

“The unfortunate incident involving the abduction of 25 female students from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area continues to trouble the minds of Nigerians. In particular, Nigerians are miffed by the manner the abduction was carried out (https://www.channelstv.com/2025/11/17/bandits-abduct-schoolgirls-kill-vice-principal-in-deadly-attack-on-kebbi-school/).

“According to the state governor, Nasir Idris, ‘We received intelligence on a possible attack, we summoned a security meeting…The security agencies assured us that all was well and that personnel would be mobilised to the school…The military was deployed, but they later withdrew by 3 am, and by 3:45 am, the incident happened (https://www.thecable.ng/military-withdrew-from-kebbi-school-before-abduction-of-students-governor-alleges/).

“MURIC can feel the agony in the state governor’s narration. He had done the needful after receiving an intelligence report about an impending attack on the school. Those in charge of intelligence gathering had also done their duty. Ditto with those who should deploy soldiers to the spot. But somebody somewhere issued a counter-command for withdrawal of soldiers guarding the school.

“Who could it have been? A fifth columnist within the army? A signals expert among the leadership of the terrorists who succeeded in decoding the military’s signals and subsequently sent a deceitful message to those on guard?

“By the way, what kind of change of guards ever occur at 3 am? Again, if soldiers are to withdraw from guard duty, is it not strange that the departing guards did not wait to see other soldiers who would take over from them before leaving? Even ordinary neighbourhood guards know this simple security protocol.

“While it is gratifying that the soldiers were interrogated by Defence Headquarters (DHQ) according to a report (vanguardngr.com/2025/11/dhq-quizzes-soldiers-who-abandoned-kebbi-schoolgirls-before-terrorists-struck/), the guards who left the school at that auspicious time of the dawn should still be behind bars facing interrogation. Does guard duty end by 3 am? Who does that?

“While their interrogation may be reassuring, the fact that even DHQ has not come up with its findings two months after the ugly incident may be unnerving (https://www.channelstv.com/2025/11/23/military-reviewing-alleged-withdrawal-of-troops-before-kebbi-school-attack-dhq/).

“Although Senate also mandated its joint committee on security to investigate the sudden withdrawal of military personnel from the school shortly before the bandits’ invasion, Nigerians have not been briefed about the outcome of the investigation.

“It is quite disconcerting that the two week ultimatum which Senate gave its security committee has since elapsed without any findings being released to the public (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/11/kidnapping-senate-probes-sudden-withdrawal-of-military-personnel-from-kebbi-school/).

“Nigerians want to know why both DHQ and the Nigerian Senate are yet to make their findings into the mysterious withdrawal public. Nigerians demand transparency in this matter. Heads must roll on this reckless abandonment. Nigeria’s problem of insecurity, particularly terrorism and banditry, will not end until we start holding those guilty of either sabotage or dereliction of duty accountable. That must start now.

“We are aware that Nigerians are afflicted with many social diseases like kleptomania, a culture of waste, impunity, mass amnesia, etc. But the most common among them is the latter, viz, mass amnesia. We tend to be addicted to momentary excitement and hysteria but only for that moment as other events soon envelope our medullar oblongata in this action-filled theater of the absurd. But MURIC is determined to jog our memories from time to time. This ‘cup’ will not pass so soon, nor so easily.

‎‎#MagaSchoolAbduction

‎#SoldiersLeftGuardDuty

#NigerianArmy

#NigerianSenate

#WhoOrderedWithdrawal

‎

‎Professor Ishaq Akintola,

‎Founder/Executive Director,

‎Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).