25 Students Abducted as Bandits Attack Kebbi Girls’ School, Kill Vice-Principal

Bandits have reportedly abducted 25 students from the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi state, following a deadly pre-dawn attack that has plunged the community into fear and grief.

The armed attackers, wielding sophisticated weapons, stormed the school around 4:00am on Monday, firing shots as they forced their way into the premises in Danko/Wasagu local government area.

In a statement, CSP Nafiu Abubakar Kotarkoshi, the police spokesperson, said: “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.”

He confirmed that a staff member, Hassan Makuku, was shot dead, while another, Ali Shehu, sustained a gunshot injury to his right hand. Makuku was said to have been killed while attempting to protect students during the attack.

Following the incident, Abubakar said additional police tactical squads, military personnel and local vigilantes were immediately deployed to pursue the attackers. “They are currently combing the bandits’ routes and nearby forests with a view to rescuing the abducted students and possibly arresting the perpetrators of the dastardly act,” he said.

The commissioner of police, CP Bello M. Sani, he added, had reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property. “The Commissioner reiterates the Command’s unwavering determination to safeguard the people of Kebbi State,” Abubakar said. “He appeals to the public to remain calm, vigilant, and continue supporting police operations to maintain peace and stability.”

Also confirming the incident, the chief press secretary to the governor, Ahmed Idris, said the state government was closely monitoring developments. “The exact number of abducted students is still being verified,” Idris told our correspondent. He added that the deputy governor, Senator Umar Tafida, had been dispatched to the school to assess the situation on behalf of Governor Nasir Idris, who is currently out of the state.

He assured residents that the government was working with security agencies to secure the release of the girls and restore calm to the community.

Parents and residents in Maga remain in anguish as they await further updates on the fate of the abducted students.

Monday’s attack is the second major school kidnapping in Kebbi state in recent years. In June 2021, bandits abducted students of the Federal Government Girls College, Birnin Yauri. Seven months later, in January 2022, 30 students and a teacher were freed after prolonged captivity.