In a brazen early-morning raid that has sent shockwaves across Nigeria, armed bandits stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School (GGCSS) in Maga, Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, abducting 25 female students and killing the vice principal, Malam Hassan Makuku. The attack, which occurred around 1-4 a.m. on Monday, November 17, 2025, also left a security guard, Ali Shehu, with gunshot wounds to his right hand. Initial reports suggest the principal may have been among the injured, though details remain unconfirmed amid ongoing chaos.
The assailants, armed with sophisticated weapons, overpowered school guards in a fierce gun duel before herding the girls—believed to be aged 12-15—from their dormitory and fleeing into nearby forests toward neighboring Zamfara State. This incident marks the third major school attack in northern Nigeria this month, underscoring the escalating threat of banditry and kidnappings in the northwest, where armed groups frequently target educational institutions for ransom.
Kebbi State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafiu Abubakar, confirmed the abduction and fatalities, noting that security forces, including police and military personnel, have launched a sweeping rescue operation in the rugged terrain. However, locals and school officials have criticized the delayed response, attributing it to poor road access and inadequate intelligence. Governor Nasir Idris has vowed the safe return of the girls, deploying additional resources and coordinating with federal authorities.
In a positive development amid the crisis, at least one—and possibly two—of the abducted girls managed to escape their captors. The school’s principal reported that one girl fled through farmland and reunited with her family, though she required medical treatment for injuries sustained during her escape. Another report from local officials indicated a second escapee, highlighting the girls’ resilience in the face of terror.
The Federal Government, through Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris, expressed deep concern and solidarity with the victims’ families. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed security agencies to prioritize the rescue, emphasizing that protecting schoolchildren is a “solemn responsibility of the State.” The administration is recalibrating military and intelligence efforts, including enhanced cooperation with ECOWAS and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), to combat such threats.
Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu arrived in Kebbi on Tuesday, ordering troops to conduct “day and night” operations and “leave no stone unturned” in tracking the bandits. He met with local vigilantes and hunters, urging them to leverage their terrain knowledge for the rescue.
Public outrage has flooded social media, with X users condemning the attack and drawing parallels to the 2014 Chibok abduction by Boko Haram, where many girls remain missing. One post lamented, “Terrorist bandits attacked a school in Kebbi State, killed the Vice Principal… and abducted 25 innocent Muslim schoolgirls. This is a painful tragedy.” The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also condemned the incident, calling for urgent intervention.
While Kebbi State is far from the Niger Delta, security experts warn that unchecked banditry in the northwest could inspire similar disruptions in the south, including threats to oil infrastructure and communities in Delta, Bayelsa, and Rivers States. Recent military successes against illegal refineries in the Delta highlight the need for a nationwide strategy to prevent the spread of such violence.
Human rights groups, including Plan International, have called for immediate action to protect girls’ education, noting this attack as part of a decade-long pattern targeting vulnerable students. No group has claimed responsibility, but analysts link it to ransom-driven bandit gangs rather than Islamist militants like ISWAP.
The Niger Delta Herald extends condolences to the families of Malam Hassan Makuku and the abducted girls, urging swift justice and enhanced school security nationwide. As rescue efforts intensify, the nation holds its breath for the safe return of the remaining students.
