Bandits kill Vice-Principal, abduct 25 schoolgirls in fresh Kebbi attack
…as FG vows swift rescue
Panic and grief have gripped the community of Maga in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State after bandits, operating in large numbers, attacked the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) at dawn on Monday, killing the Vice Principal, Hassan Yakubu Makuku, and abducting 25 female students.
The attackers reportedly scaled the school’s perimeter fence around 5am before shooting sporadically and forcing their way into the students’ hostel.
Residents who witnessed the attack said the operation was swift and terrifying.
Fatima Nasiru, a shop owner near the school’s main gate, said she was awakened by heavy gunfire and screaming.
“We heard gunshots very close, then people shouting ‘bandits, bandits’. They moved straight to the girls’ rooms. Everyone in the neighbourhood ran for cover,” she said.
Another resident, Idris Abdullahi, said the bandits outnumbered the early responders.
“There was no resistance at the beginning. They came in groups, some on motorcycles. They knew exactly where they were going,” he said.
Locals described Vice Principal Makuku as a dedicated educator who sacrificed his life trying to protect his students.
“He confronted them to delay their movement so more students could escape. That’s when they shot him. He died a hero.”
Parents stormed the school premises moments after news of the abduction spread, many wailing and demanding immediate government action.
Police spokesperson CSP Nafiu Abubakar confirmed the attack and said tactical teams deployed to the school engaged the bandits but “they had already moved the girls before reinforcement arrived.”
He added that search and rescue operations were ongoing in surrounding forests.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ahmed Idris, said the Deputy Governor, Senator Umar Tafida, had been dispatched to the area to assess the situation. He also disclosed that the governor had ordered an emergency meeting with security heads.
“The governor has directed massive deployment of additional security personnel to the area. Every effort is being made to rescue the girls safely,” Idris said.
A group of aggrieved parents who gathered at the school gate criticised the frequency of attacks on schools in the area.
One parent, Malam Usman Abdullahi, whose daughter is among the abducted, cried openly as he spoke.
“How many times will they take our children before something is done? We are tired of burying teachers and searching for children.”
The Coalition of Northern Education Rights (CNER), in a statement, condemned the attack and urged the federal government to strengthen school security in rural areas.
“Our girls cannot continue to be targets. The pattern is clear and the response must be urgent,” the group said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has vowed a swift and comprehensive response to the recent mass abduction of female students from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in the Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
In an official statement released by the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the Federal Government expressed deep concern and solidarity with the affected families, sharing in their pain and firmly committing to the safe return of the girls.
The Minister confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has reiterated that protecting every Nigerian, especially schoolchildren, remains a solemn responsibility of the State.
The government condemned the "reprehensible attack on innocent students and the killing of school officials who were carrying out their noble duty."
The statement confirmed that security and intelligence agencies have been issued clear directives to locate, rescue, and safely return the students, and to ensure that the perpetrators face justice, emphasizing that the Federal Government will not relent until this objective is achieved.
Idris further assured Nigerians that strengthening internal security remains a top priority.
He stated that the Federal Government is currently recalibrating the nation’s military, policing, and intelligence capabilities to more effectively prevent these attacks and respond with greater speed and precision whenever threats arise.
The Minister also noted that Nigeria is reinforcing cooperation with regional partners through ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to secure its borders and disrupt terrorist and criminal networks.
The government urged the public to remain calm and confident while security operations proceed.