Dozens of armed bandits stormed a secondary school in Iluke, Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State on Wednesday, killing a vice principal and two others in an apparent attempt to abduct students sitting for their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Eyewitnesses said the attackers arrived in the morning, shooting sporadically as terrified students tried to flee. Their main target was UBE Iluke Bunu, where WAEC candidates were writing exams. During the chaos, Gani Anifowose, Vice Principal of Government Secondary School, Aharha-Bunu, was killed along with two other victims.
Troops of the Nigerian Army stationed nearby in Suku-Kiri Bunu responded swiftly to distress calls, engaging the assailants and foiling what could have been a mass abduction. One of the bandits was reportedly neutralized, while others fled into surrounding forests. Residents say some people remain unaccounted for, raising fears that additional victims may have been abducted or displaced.
Neither the police nor the state government has released official details, but local authorities confirmed the attack. The incident has deepened concerns about insecurity in Kogi, a state that has seen rising violence in recent months.
On social media, outrage was immediate. “Children should not have to die for education. This is heartbreaking,” one user wrote. Another posted: “WAEC exams are supposed to be a milestone, not a death sentence. Government must act.”
Civil society groups condemned the attack. The Nigeria Union of Teachers said: “Teachers and students are under siege. We cannot continue to risk lives in classrooms. Security must be prioritized.”
Social commentators also weighed in. Columnist Japheth Omojuwa tweeted: “This is another reminder that insecurity is not just about numbers. It is about lives cut short and futures stolen.” Economist Bismarck Rewane added: “Education is the backbone of development. If schools are unsafe, Nigeria’s future is at risk.”
Opinion leaders in Kogi called for urgent reforms. A community elder in Kabba-Bunu said: “We are tired of mourning. Our children deserve safety. The government must stop treating these attacks as routine.”
The attack underscores the vulnerability of schools across Nigeria, where mass abductions have become a recurring tragedy since the Chibok girls kidnapping in 2014. Despite military deployments and government assurances, bandits continue to target schools, exploiting weak security and traumatizing communities.
