Twenty-four of the schoolgirls kidnapped from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State have been rescued, security sources told TheCable on Tuesday.

Although the full details of the rescue operation remain unclear, officials say a formal announcement is expected later tonight.

The students were abducted on November 17 when armed bandits stormed the school, killing a staff member and injuring a security guard before escaping with 25 girls. Two of the students later managed to flee, according to a BBC report that quoted Hussaini Aliyu, an official in Danko Wasagu LGA. The pair reportedly escaped across nearby farmland while being marched into the forest.

On November 19, Aliyu, who chairs Danko/Wasagu LGA, released the names of the 25 abducted girls, listed according to their class categories.

Following the abduction, the Kebbi police commissioner, Bello Sani, deployed additional tactical units to join military personnel and local vigilante groups in combing forests and suspected escape routes. The coordinated search-and-rescue mission was bolstered by the army chief, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, who instructed troops under Operation FANSAN YANMA to intensify efforts and “leave no stone unturned.”

President Bola Tinubu also intervened, directing the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to relocate to Kebbi to oversee the security operations aimed at securing the girls’ freedom.

Further updates on how the rescue was accomplished are expected as authorities prepare an official briefing.