MAGA, Kebbi State — The wife of slain Vice Principal Hassan Makuku has shared the harrowing story of how her family endured the violent abduction of students at Government Secondary Comprehensive School, Maga, in Danko Wasagu Local Government Area — an attack on 17 November 2025 that claimed her husband’s life and nearly cost her daughter’s.
Speaking through tears, she described the chaos of the dawn raid when armed men stormed the school around 4:00 a.m., firing shots and forcing 25 students into the bush. “We were helpless. My husband tried to protect the children, but he was killed in front of us,” she said. Her daughter narrowly escaped after being dragged into the forest before managing to flee in the confusion.
The attack, which left families shattered and the community in mourning, has reignited fears of mass kidnappings in Nigeria’s northwest. The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, condemned the assault as “a painful attack on our children” and called for urgent rescue efforts.
Community leaders voiced outrage, insisting schools must be protected. “We cannot continue to lose our children and teachers to bandits. Schools must be safe zones,” said one elder in Danko Wasagu. Parents of victims echoed the grief. “We send our children to school to learn, not to be taken away by gunmen. This is unbearable,” a father lamented outside the school compound.
Security analysts warned the Kebbi attack mirrors earlier mass kidnappings in Chibok, Dapchi, and Jangebe. “The pattern is clear — schools remain soft targets for bandits seeking ransom,” one regional expert explained. Civil society groups also urged trauma support for survivors. “Beyond rescue, these children need counseling and rehabilitation,” said a women’s rights activist.
Government officials pledged intensified rescue operations. “We are working with security agencies to ensure the safe return of the abducted students,” a Kebbi State spokesperson said. Nigerian diaspora groups abroad expressed solidarity, noting the attack highlights the urgent need to protect education. “This tragedy reminds us of the importance of safeguarding schools in Nigeria,” said a UK‑based advocacy group.
For the Makuku family, survival came at a devastating cost. “We are alive, but broken,” the widow said. “My husband gave his life trying to save others. My daughter will carry the trauma forever.”
The Kebbi abduction joins a grim list of school kidnappings in Nigeria, from Chibok (2014) to Dapchi (2018) and Jangebe (2021), underscoring the ongoing struggle to secure education in conflict‑prone regions.
