A coordinated armed assault on a government girls’ boarding school in Kebbi State in the early hours of Monday has left the vice principal dead and twenty five female students abducted, according to authorities. The incident marks yet another tragic addition to the growing list of mass kidnappings targeting educational institutions in Nigeria’s northwest.
The attack occurred at Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town, a community in the Sakaba Local Government Area that has experienced rising insecurity over the past year. Residents reported being awakened before dawn by sustained gunfire as the attackers advanced toward the school premises.
According to police spokesperson Nafiu Abubakar Kotarkoshi, the gunmen arrived around four in the morning, moving with a level of organisation that suggested prior knowledge of the school’s layout and security patterns. They were heavily armed and reportedly split into groups, with some positioned around the entrance while others moved directly toward the dormitories.
Police officers stationed at the school attempted to repel the assault, engaging the gunmen in a prolonged exchange of gunfire. Despite their efforts, the attackers outnumbered and overpowered the security team. Witnesses said the gunmen scaled the school’s perimeter fence after breaching the gate area and headed straight for the hostels where students were sleeping.
It was during this confrontation that the vice principal, who was among the staff members attempting to protect the students, was fatally shot. His death has been described as a significant loss to the school community, where he was known for his dedication to the welfare and academic development of the girls under his supervision.
Once inside the dormitories, the attackers forcibly gathered a group of female students and marched them out of the compound amid the chaos. Residents living near the school reported seeing the gunmen fleeing toward a nearby forest, a route commonly used by armed groups operating in the region.
The police spokesperson confirmed that a search and rescue operation is now underway. Security agencies, including police units, local vigilante groups and military support teams from neighbouring formations, have been deployed to track the abductors and recover the students. He added that authorities are working closely with community leaders and intelligence sources to determine the exact direction the assailants took after the attack.
Parents and relatives of the abducted students rushed to the school after news of the incident spread across the community. Many were seen in distress, waiting for updates and hoping for the safe return of their children. School officials have temporarily suspended academic activities while the premises undergo assessment and security reinforcement.
Kebbi State, like several other states in the northwest region, has seen a rise in school kidnappings since 2020. Criminal armed groups have increasingly targeted educational institutions as a means of exerting pressure on authorities and extracting ransom payments. These incidents have led to the closure of many rural schools and have raised serious concerns about the safety of students, particularly young girls, in vulnerable communities.
State officials have condemned the attack, describing it as a deliberate assault on the right to education and a direct threat to national stability. They have pledged to strengthen security around all public schools and to work tirelessly toward the safe return of every abducted student.
As of Monday evening, security agencies had not announced any arrests or rescues, but authorities insist that operations are ongoing and that every effort is being made to bring the girls home safely. Families and community members remain hopeful yet fearful, as the region continues to grapple with an escalating insecurity crisis that has disrupted daily life and placed thousands of students at risk.
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