Twenty-five students of Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, were abducted yesterday when armed bandits invaded the school in a dawn attack that also claimed the life of the vice principal, Malam Hassan Makuku.
Residents said the attackers stormed the school around 5 a.m., shooting sporadically before gaining access to the premises. Witnesses disclosed that Makuku was killed while attempting to protect the students from being taken away.
“It’s a great loss to the community. He died trying to defend the students,” a resident, Aliyu Yakubu, said.
Another witness, Sulaiman Abdullahi, added that several unidentified bodies were found within the school after the invasion, noting that the bandits came in large numbers and met no resistance. Military jets were said to have flown over the area around 8 a.m., while security personnel cordoned off the community.
Police Confirm Abduction
The Public Relations Officer of the Kebbi State Police Command, CSP Nafiu Abubakar, confirmed the incident, stating that the attackers scaled the school fence and escaped with 25 students after firing heavily on arrival.
He said police tactical teams engaged the criminals in a shootout, but the bandits had already moved the girls out of their hostel before officers arrived.
Parents and residents are anxiously awaiting official updates on the condition and whereabouts of the abducted students.
Kebbi Government Condemns Attack
Reacting to the development, the Kebbi State Government described the attack as barbaric and unacceptable. In a statement, Ahmed Idris, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Nasir Idris, said the government was “deeply shocked” by the abduction and sympathised with the affected families and school community.
He urged residents to remain calm, assuring them that security agencies were intensifying efforts to rescue the victims.
The governor, accompanied by the Speaker of the State Assembly and the Emir of Zuru, visited the school, while Deputy Governor Senator Abubakar Umar earlier conducted an on-the-spot assessment.
Tinubu Orders Immediate Rescue
President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack and directed security and intelligence agencies to launch a coordinated operation to rescue the abducted students.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the President issued “clear directives” that the perpetrators must be arrested and the students safely recovered. He reiterated that securing schools and citizens remains a priority for the administration.
Atiku Calls for Security Overhaul
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also condemned the incident, describing it as a grim reminder of Nigeria’s worsening insecurity. He called for an urgent overhaul of the nation’s security architecture.
Atiku also decried the killing of an APC chieftain in Zamfara and the mass abduction of families in Tsafe LGA, warning that widespread violent attacks across several states show the situation has become “intolerable.”
He urged the federal government to strengthen intelligence gathering, deploy more personnel to vulnerable areas, and prioritise the protection of citizens.
Banditry Spreads Fear in Nasarawa
In a related development, bandits abducted Alhaji Musa Usman, father of the former Chairman of the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board, Mohammed Musa Dan-Azumi, during a night attack on Daddere community in Obi LGA.
Residents said the attackers fired repeatedly before whisking him away around 8 p.m. The abduction comes amid a fresh wave of attacks in Nasarawa communities, which have left more than seven people dead and several others kidnapped within one week.
Farmers in affected areas say insecurity has prevented many from accessing their farmlands, calling on government and security agencies to urgently halt the resurgence of violence.
