On Sunday night, armed bandits in large numbers stormed Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, a community in the Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, in one of the latest tragic kidnappings targeting educational institutions in Nigeria.
The attackers abducted no fewer than 25 schoolgirls, killing the school’s vice principal in the process.
The incident, which has sparked widespread alarm, occurred around midnight. According to eyewitness Sulaiman Abdullahi, the bandits broke into the school after firing several shots to create panic.
“They came in mass numbers at night and began shooting sporadically before they got access to the school,” Abdullahi reported. He added that there were multiple bodies scattered within the premises following the attack, though the exact number of casualties has not yet been confirmed.
A flying squad of Nigerian security forces responded to the attack, with residents reporting the presence of air force jets in the sky on Monday morning around 8 am. “We saw jets hovering in search of the fleeing bandits,” Abdullahi said. By mid-morning, the area had been cordoned off by heavily armed security personnel.
The Kebbi State Police Command has confirmed the attack. CSP Nafiu Abubakar, the Command’s spokesperson, stated that a tactical team has been deployed to begin rescue operations aimed at securing the release of the abducted students.
“Efforts are being intensified to ensure no student in captivity gets hurt by the bandits,” Abubakar said, adding that Commissioner of Police Bello Sani is leading the concerted effort to address the crisis and neutralize the threat.
This latest attack has reignited concerns about insecurity in northern Nigeria’s schools. Over the past few years, Boko Haram and other armed groups have repeatedly targeted educational institutions, particularly in the north, as part of a broader campaign of terror and destabilization.
Despite several rescue operations and the negotiation for the release of abducted students, such attacks continue to pose a major threat to education in the region.
Parents and community members are now gripped by fear and uncertainty as rescue missions intensify. Civil society organizations have renewed their calls on the federal and state governments to implement robust measures to secure schools, especially in rural and vulnerable areas.
The Kebbi State Government is yet to issue an official statement on the incident. Meanwhile, the community has been plunged into grief and chaos as families await updates on the fate of their daughters.
This attack comes just months after similar mass kidnappings in Zamfara, Niger, and Kaduna states, which have underscored the ongoing challenge of securing rural schools against organized criminal groups.
For now, all eyes are on the rescue efforts in Maga, as the nation watches and waits for the safe return of the missing schoolgirls.
