ZURU, Kebbi State — The Kebbi State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Halima Bande, has confirmed that 24 students of Government Girls’ Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, remain in captivity following Monday’s deadly bandit attack.
Speaking to Channels Television in Zuru on Tuesday, Bande said the attackers abducted 26 students during the invasion, adding that only two girls — Salma and Hauwa’u Liman — managed to escape. “Only two have escaped so far,” she said.
Bande described the incident as devastating and emotionally draining for families, school authorities, and the entire community. “This is a tragedy that has put everyone around us in trauma. We don’t know where they sleep, the food they eat, or the environment they are in,” she lamented.
She confirmed that the two escaped students were safe and receiving care. Bande also appealed to journalists and the public to refrain from spreading unverified claims about the attack, noting that misinformation has been circulating since the incident. “Therefore, I implore journalists and media outlets to rely only on authentic information regarding the incident,” she urged.
The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Monday,17 November 2025, left the school community in shock. Armed assailants stormed the campus, killing Vice Principal Hassan Makuku and abducting dozens of students. Security forces, vigilantes, and local hunters are currently combing the forests in search of the missing girls.
Families of victims expressed anguish over the uncertainty. One father said, “We don’t know if our daughters are alive or dead. Every hour feels like a year.”
Community leaders voiced outrage, insisting schools must be protected. An elder in Danko Wasagu declared, “Our children cannot be abandoned to bandits.”
Security analysts warned that the Kebbi attack mirrors earlier mass kidnappings in Chibok, Dapchi, and Jangebe. One regional expert explained, “The pattern is clear — schools remain soft targets for bandits seeking ransom.”
Civil society groups urged trauma support for survivors and families. A women’s rights activist noted, “Rescue is critical, but healing will take years.”
Government officials pledged intensified rescue operations. Bande reiterated, “We are working with security agencies to ensure the safe return of the abducted students.”
Nigerian diaspora groups abroad expressed solidarity, stressing the urgent need to protect education. A UK‑based advocacy group said, “This tragedy reminds us of the importance of safeguarding schools in Nigeria.”
The Kebbi abduction adds to Nigeria’s grim record of school kidnappings, from Chibok (2014) to Dapchi (2018) and Jangebe (2021), underscoring the ongoing struggle to secure education in conflict‑prone regions.
