At least 25 students have been abducted from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town, Kebbi State, after armed men launched a deadly overnight raid on the school premises.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Monday in the Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, when gunmen invaded the school grounds under the cover of darkness. Witnesses said the assailants shot and killed the vice principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, who was reportedly attempting to protect the students from being taken.
Police spokesperson CSP Nafiu Abubakar confirmed the incident in a statement, saying “25 students were taken during the raid” and that security forces had commenced search and rescue operations to locate the missing girls.
Kebbi State’s Chief Press Secretary, Ahmed Idris, said Deputy Governor Umar Tafida had been dispatched to the area on the directive of Governor Nasir Idris, who was outside the state at the time of the attack.
Residents described the aftermath as one of grief and panic, with many gathering for prayers for the safe return of the abducted students and in remembrance of the slain vice principal.
This latest abduction underscores the persistent insecurity facing schools in northern Nigeria, where armed groups have repeatedly targeted educational institutions in mass kidnappings for ransom.
Nigeria has witnessed several high-profile school abductions in recent years. In February 2021, 317 girls were kidnapped from a secondary school in Jangebe, Zamfara State. That same month, gunmen seized dozens of students and staff from Government Science College, Kagara, in Niger State.
In December 2020, about 300 boys were abducted from a school in Kankara, Katsina State. Earlier incidents include the Dapchi abduction in 2018 and the infamous Chibok kidnapping in 2014, when Boko Haram militants kidnapped hundreds of schoolgirls, attacks that drew global outrage and calls for stronger protections for students.
Security analysts warn that the continued targeting of schools highlights the urgent need for improved intelligence, community policing, and sustained military presence in vulnerable areas across the northern region.
