President Bola Tinubu has shelved his scheduled foreign trips to South Africa and Angola to await comprehensive security briefings on the kidnapping of schoolgirls in Kebbi State and the deadly attack on worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State.
The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, revealing that the Commander-in-Chief opted to remain in the country until he receives detailed reports on both security incidents.
President Tinubu was originally scheduled to depart Abuja on Wednesday to attend the 20th G20 Summit of leaders in Johannesburg, South Africa, before proceeding to Luanda for the 7th African Union-European Union Summit.
However, according to the statement, concern over the security breaches that resulted in the abduction of students and the killing of church members prompted the President to suspend his departure.
“Disturbed by the security breaches in Kebbi State and Monday’s attack by bandits against worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku, President Tinubu decided to suspend his departure,” Onanuga stated in the release.
The President is now awaiting reports from Vice President Kashim Shettima, who undertook a sympathy visit to Kebbi State on his behalf to engage with state authorities and families of the abducted girls.
Additionally, Tinubu is expecting detailed briefings from the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services regarding the circumstances surrounding the Kwara church attack that claimed lives and left others injured.
In response to a request from Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, President Tinubu has authorized the immediate deployment of additional security personnel to Eruru and the entire Ekiti Local Government Area to strengthen protective measures and restore confidence in the traumatized community.
The statement revealed that the President has also “directed the police to go after the bandits who attacked worshippers,” signaling a determination to hold perpetrators accountable for the assault on the religious gathering.
Regarding the Kebbi situation, where armed bandits stormed Government Girls Secondary School in Maga, killing the Vice Principal and abducting female students, the President has reiterated his commitment to ensuring their safe recovery.
“President Tinubu reiterates his directive to the security agencies to do everything possible to rescue the 24 schoolgirls, abducted by the bandits and bring the girls back home, safe,” the statement emphasized, placing the number of kidnapped students at 24.
The decision to postpone high-profile international engagements demonstrates the priority the President is placing on addressing the domestic security crises, particularly those involving vulnerable populations like schoolchildren and worshippers.
The G20 Summit in South Africa, which brings together leaders of the world’s major economies, and the AU-EU Summit in Angola, which addresses cooperation between African and European nations, are both significant diplomatic events that would typically demand presidential attendance.
However, the statement suggests that President Tinubu has determined that remaining in Nigeria to oversee security responses to the recent attacks takes precedence over international diplomatic obligations at this critical moment.
The postponement comes as security forces intensify operations in both Kebbi and Kwara states, with tactical teams combing forests and suspected bandit routes in efforts to locate and rescue the abducted schoolgirls while pursuing those responsible for the church attack.
Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu had earlier visited Kebbi to personally direct military operations, while Vice President Shettima’s Wednesday visit to the state was specifically mandated by President Tinubu to assess the situation firsthand.
The statement from the Presidency provides no indication of when the President might reschedule his visits to South Africa and Angola, suggesting that his focus remains entirely on the domestic security situation until satisfactory progress has been achieved in addressing both crises.
As Nigeria grapples with these latest security challenges, the President’s decision to postpone international travel sends a signal that his administration recognizes the urgency of responding decisively to attacks on educational institutions and places of worship—two categories of soft targets that bandits and terrorists have increasingly exploited.
The coming days will reveal whether the enhanced security deployments ordered by the President and the intensified operations being conducted by various agencies will succeed in recovering the Kebbi schoolgirls and apprehending those responsible for both the abduction and the Kwara church attack.
