President Bola Tinubu has welcomed the release of the 24 schoolgirls abducted by terrorists in Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, last Monday.

In a statement on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, Mr Tinubu commended the security agents’ efforts to secure the freedom of victims.

“I am relieved that all 24 girls have been accounted for,” said Mr Tinubu. “Now, we must put, as a matter of urgency, more boots on the ground in the vulnerable areas to avert further incidents of kidnapping.”

He added, “My government will offer all the assistance needed to achieve this.”

Mr Tinubu, however, tasked the security agents to make more efforts to rescue the remaining students still in captivity.

Terrorists had, on November 17, invaded the school and shot sporadically, killing a vice principal while abducting scores of schoolgirls.

Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi had alleged that military personnel withdrew from the school less than one hour before the abduction.

The release of the abductees came days after the government secured the release of 38 worshippers kidnapped from Christ Apostolic Church Oke Isegun, Eruku, in the Ekiti LGA of Kwara.

The Niger State chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria also said 50 of the missing students of St Mary Catholic School had been reunited with their parents.