By Seyi Odewale
Bandits have abducted 25 schoolgirls and killed a senior administrator during a night attack on the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS), Maga, in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
The assailants invaded the school late Sunday and shot the Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, who reportedly attempted to protect students during the assault, according to witnesses.
The attackers then moved through the premises and seized 25 girls from the hostels before escaping into nearby forests.
Kebbi State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafiu Abubakar Kotarkoshi, confirmed the incident on Monday, describing the gunmen as heavily armed. He said a combined team of police and military personnel had begun a coordinated pursuit.
“At least 25 students were abducted and one staff member was killed,” he said, adding that another staff member sustained injuries before the attackers fled.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ahmed Idris, stated that Deputy Governor Senator Umar Tafida was earlier dispatched to the school to assess the situation on behalf of Governor Nasir Idris, who is currently outside the State.
Residents of Maga and surrounding communities have been anxiously awaiting official updates as families gather near the school seeking information on the abducted girls.
The attack marks the latest in a series of mass abductions targeting schools in northern Nigeria over the past decade, a trend that began with the Chibok abduction of 276 schoolgirls in Borno State in 2014.
In 2021, bandits kidnapped 317 students from the Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe, in Zamfara State. In the same year, gunmen raided Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State, abducting students and staff.
Over 130 students were also kidnapped in Kaduna in 2023 before being rescued weeks later.
These recurring attacks have deepened fears over the safety of schools and weakened access to education for thousands of children, particularly girls.
*FG orders swift rescue operation
President Bola Tinubu has condemned the Kebbi attack and directed security agencies to rescue the abducted students without delay.
In a statement released by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, the President reaffirmed that securing schoolchildren remains a “solemn responsibility” of the Nigerian State.
“Our security and intelligence agencies have been issued clear directives to locate, rescue, and safely return the students,” the statement said.
Tinubu added that the Federal Government was strengthening internal security architecture and enhancing cooperation with ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Multinational Joint Task Force.
*US Congress to probe Nigeria’s CPC designation
The abduction comes days before the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa begins a formal hearing into President Donald Trump’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) due to alleged religious persecution.
Scheduled for November 20, 2025, the hearing will feature senior officials from the US Department of State and Nigerian religious leaders. Trump had cited rising killings of Christians and alleged failures of the Nigerian government to curb extremist violence.
A related bill is currently before the US Senate, sponsored by Senator Ted Cruz, as American lawmakers debate possible policy actions, including sanctions and restrictions on aid.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu rejected the CPC designation, stating that it does not accurately reflect Nigeria’s commitment to religious liberty.
“Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty,” he wrote on X.
On Sunday, however, Pope Leo XIV also expressed concern over rising violence against Christians in Nigeria and elsewhere, warning in a post on his official X handle that Christians “suffer discrimination and persecution” across several countries.
