ABUJA, Nigeria — The Nigerian government has pledged a swift rescue operation after armed bandits abducted 25 girls from the Maga Comprehensive Girls’ Secondary School in Kebbi State, an attack that has reignited fears of mass school kidnappings in the country’s northwest.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris said in a statement that the government “condemns the reprehensible attack on innocent students and the killing of school officials who were carrying out their noble duty.” Police confirmed the assault took place around 4 a.m. in Danko Wasagu Local Government Area, leaving one school official dead and another injured.
“Our security and intelligence agencies have been issued clear directives to locate, rescue, and safely return the students, and to ensure that the perpetrators face justice,” Mr. Idris said, adding that the federal government “will not relent until this objective is achieved.”
The attack underscores the worsening insecurity across Nigeria’s northwest and parts of the north‑central region, where states such as Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger have been repeatedly targeted by armed groups. Schools have become particular targets, with children abducted for ransom in incidents that have forced closures and left communities traumatized.
In June 2021, one such group abducted 11 pupils from the Federal Government College in Yauri, also in Kebbi State. That attack was carried out by the notorious terrorism kingpin Dogo Gide, who eventually released the victims in batches after prolonged negotiations and ransom payments.
No group has claimed responsibility for the latest abduction in Maga, but the echoes of Yauri are unmistakable. Analysts say the incident highlights the persistence of criminal networks that thrive on mass kidnappings, exploiting weak security and porous borders.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reiterated that protecting schoolchildren remains a solemn responsibility of the state. The government said it is recalibrating military, policing, and intelligence capabilities to respond with greater speed and precision, while reinforcing cooperation with regional partners through ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Multinational Joint Task Force.
Parents of the abducted girls expressed anguish during meetings with Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris. “We cannot sleep, we cannot eat. Every hour feels like a year until our daughters return,” one father told reporters. Another mother broke down in tears, saying, “We sent our children to school to learn, not to be taken away. We beg the government, please bring them back alive.” Governor Idris assured families that all resources were being deployed, telling them security operatives were “working tirelessly” to secure the girls’ release.
International reactions have added pressure. Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former vice president, said he was “devastated” by the attack and urged the government to intensify efforts against insecurity. U.S. Congressman Riley Moore noted that the assault occurred in a Christian enclave and called for global attention to violence against civilians in northern Nigeria. Aid organizations have also warned that repeated abductions risk undermining education across the region, with parents increasingly reluctant to send children to school.
For families of the abducted girls, the government’s assurances offer little comfort until their children are safely returned. “We share in their pain and are firmly committed to bringing the girls home safely,” Mr. Idris said.
