Armed men stormed a girls’ secondary school in northwestern Nigeria early Monday, killing a teacher and abducting at least 25 students after a gunbattle with police, authorities said.
The attack occurred at Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, around 4 a.m. local time. Witnesses said the assailants exchanged fire with security forces before breaching the compound and seizing the students from their hostel. One teacher was fatally shot while attempting to protect the girls, and another staff member was injured.
Police confirmed the abductions and said tactical units have been deployed to rescue the students. “Unfortunately, the suspected bandits had already scaled through the fence of the school and abducted twenty‑five students from their hostel to an unknown destination,” said CSP Nafiu Abubakar Kotarkoshi, spokesperson for the Kebbi State Police Command.
The Kebbi State government said it was working closely with federal authorities and security agencies to recover the students. The Federal Government also issued a statement assuring Nigerians that “everything possible” is being done to secure the release of the girls. Officials emphasized that protecting schools remains a national priority, and pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Parents gathered outside the school on Monday morning, many in tears as they waited for news. “We sent our daughters here to learn, not to be taken away by gunmen,” said one father, his voice breaking. Another mother described the attack as “a nightmare we thought had ended after Chibok, but it has returned to us.” Families pleaded with authorities to act swiftly, warning that every hour felt like an eternity.
The assault is the latest in a series of mass kidnappings that have plagued northern Nigeria in recent years, often carried out by armed gangs seeking ransom. It recalls the 2014 abduction of more than 270 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, which drew global outrage and highlighted the vulnerability of schools in conflict‑prone regions.
A Troubling Pattern
- In 2014, Boko Haram militants abducted 276 girls from Chibok, sparking the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.
- In 2018, 110 girls were taken from Dapchi, Yobe State; most were released, but Leah Sharibu remains in captivity.
- In 2020, over 300 boys were kidnapped from Kankara, Katsina State.
- In 2021, 279 girls were abducted from Jangebe, Zamfara State.
- That same year, dozens of students and teachers were seized in Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State.
Analysts note that the Kebbi incident stands out because it unfolded in the early hours, involved heavy gunfire, and prompted immediate federal intervention. Human rights groups say Nigeria’s government faces mounting pressure to strengthen school security and fulfill its obligations under international conventions protecting children’s rights.
For now, anguished parents in Kebbi wait outside the school compound, clinging to hope that their daughters will be found. “We will not sleep until they return,” one mother said. “Our children are our future, and they must be protected.”
