Twenty-four schoolgirls were abducted after two managed to escape when armed men stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in northwestern Nigeria. According to the school’s principal, Musa Rabi Magaji, one girl managed to slip away from the kidnappers after they took the girls from the school.
The girl arrived home late Monday, hours after the pre-dawn raid. Another student had slipped away even earlier, managing to flee in the confusion at the campus before the gunmen took the others. Both teenagers, wrapped in their hijabs and clearly shaken, could later be seen in a video surrounded by relatives and villagers who had gathered to comfort them. The abduction operation also ended with a staff member being shot dead by the gunmen.
Officials launched a search with security forces, vigilantes, and local hunters spread into the forests surrounding Maga town. These wooded areas are known hideouts for the gangs that often strike rural regions. Teams also positioned themselves along major roads, hoping to intercept any movement of the abductors.
Authorities say that none of the gangs has taken accountability for the abduction. However, officials have theorised that the gunmen are likely from a set of gangs that are known to have turned to kidnappings for ransom. These several groups have targeted schools, travellers and remote villagers.
The location of the Kebbi school, close to volatile zones in Zamfara and Sokoto states, adds to the challenge. These areas have seen rising tensions between armed groups and farming communities, creating pockets where criminal networks operate with ease.
Officials moved quickly to show support; Kebbi Gov. Nasir Idris visited the school, while Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, directed forces to pursue the abductors “day and night”, insisting that “success is not optional”.
By Tuesday morning, the school grounds were silent, the dormitory and classrooms empty. Resident Abdulkarim Abdullahi described hearing gunshots and learning that the gunmen had stormed the school on motorcycles. Abdullahi’s 13-year-old daughter and 10-year-old granddaughter are among those kidnapped.
The staff member who was gunned down was Vice Principal Hassan Yakubu Makuku, who was also the school’s chief security officer. His wife, Amina Hassan, shared that he was shot dead after three of the attackers broke into their home, which is on the compound. “They told him that we are here to kill you,” she recalled.