President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has put his attendance at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in South Africa on hold, choosing instead to prioritize the nation's pressing security challenges. The decision comes after a week marked by the abduction of 24 schoolgirls and a deadly church attack, signaling an intensified focus from the presidency on domestic security.
Tinubu's spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed on Wednesday that the president's planned departure for Johannesburg, where the G20 summit is scheduled to commence on Saturday, was suspended. The security breaches in Kebbi State, involving the schoolgirls, and the tragic attack by bandits on worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku were cited as the primary reasons for this crucial postponement. The timeline for Tinubu's eventual travel to the international gathering remains uncertain.
The Abduction in Kebbi State
The incident that prompted this swift action occurred late Sunday night in Maga, a town within Nigeria's northwestern Kebbi State. Unidentified armed men stormed a secondary school, engaging in a firefight with police before breaching the perimeter fence and seizing 24 female students. While one courageous girl managed to escape during the chaos, the school's vice principal tragically lost his life in the confrontation.
As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for this mass kidnapping, and the motives behind it are still under investigation. Authorities frequently attribute such attacks in the region to former herders, who have reportedly turned to armed banditry following escalating conflicts with farming communities over dwindling resources.
Church Attack Claims Lives
In a separate, equally disturbing incident, armed assailants attacked the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, western Nigeria, on Tuesday. During a service that was being recorded and broadcast online, two individuals were tragically killed. This attack, along with the schoolgirls' abduction, has fueled a contentious narrative internationally.
International Reactions and Domestic Realities
Supporters of United States President Donald Trump have controversially leveraged these violent events to bolster claims of a "Christian genocide" in Nigeria, with Trump himself having threatened a "guns-a-blazing" invasion. However, the Nigerian government has vehemently rejected these assertions, pointing out that the nation's complex security crises have resulted in more Muslim fatalities than Christian. The ongoing search for the abducted girls underscores the multifaceted nature of Nigeria's security challenges.