Vice President Kashim Shettima and other All Progressives Congress (APC) bigwigs have travelled to Kogi State for a political rally to welcome politicians decamping to the ruling party, just hours after 25 schoolgirls were abducted in Kebbi State.

Mr Shettima, who is representing President Bola Tinubu, along with the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and the APC chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, arrived in Lokoja, Kogi State capital, for the rally on Monday evening.

Stanley Nkwocha, spokesperson for Mr Shettima, announced this in a statement on Monday evening, posting a video of the vice president alighting from the presidential jet.

“On behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, Vice President Kashim Shettima @officialSKSM has arrived Kogi State in the company of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu @OfficialBenKalu, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, @OfficialAPCNg, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe @nentawe1, and Deputy National Chairman (North) Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori and other party bigwigs,” the statement reads.

Mr Shettima and other APC bigwigs, the statement said, “will be joining the Kogi State governor, Alhaji Usman Ododo @OfficialOAU, in welcoming numerous political decampees to the APC fold.”

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has decried the abduction of 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi State in the early hours of Monday.

Mr Abubakar, in a statement on Monday, said he was “devastated by the news of the tragic attack on Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, which claimed the life of the Vice-Principal and led to the abduction of innocent students.”

According to the police, the abduction took place around 4 a.m. on Monday.

“A gang of armed bandits with sophisticated weapons, shooting sporadically, stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Danko district, Danko/Wasagu LGA of Kebbi State,” a statement by the police said.

It added, “The police tactical units deployed in the school engaged them in a gun duel. Unfortunately, the suspected bandits had already scaled through the fence of the school and abducted twenty-five students from their hostel to an unknown destination. Similarly, one Hassan Makuku ‘m’ was shot dead while Ali Shehu ‘m’ sustained injury in his right hand.”

Mr Tinubu, in a statement issued by the minister of information and national orientation, Mohammed Idris, on Monday, vowed to rescue the abducted schoolgirls. 

The Kebbi schoolgirls kidnapping comes over a decade after over 270 girls were kidnapped from their school dormitory in Chibok, Borno State, in 2014.

Mr Shettima was the Borno State governor in 2014 when the Chibok girls were abducted by Boko Haram terrorists.