The Federal Government has denounced the deadly assault on the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS), Maga, in Kebbi State, where armed bandits killed the school’s vice principal and abducted 25 female students during a late-night raid on Sunday.
The attackers stormed the school, located in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, operating unhindered as they moved through hostels and staff quarters.
Witnesses said the assailants caused widespread panic, forcing students and residents to flee into surrounding bushes.
Vice Principal Malam Hassan Makuku was shot while attempting to shield students from the gunmen, according to multiple community sources.
In a statement released on Monday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, condemned the attack as “reprehensible” and confirmed that President Bola Tinubu had issued firm directives to security and intelligence agencies to locate and safely rescue the abducted students.
“The government will not relent until the children are returned unharmed and those responsible are brought to justice,” Idris said, adding that the administration remains committed to protecting schools across the country.
The minister emphasised that President Tinubu views the safety of schoolchildren as a solemn national duty and has ordered a reinforcement of intelligence, policing, and military coordination.
According to the statement, Nigeria is also deepening security cooperation with ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Multinational Joint Task Force to disrupt cross-border criminal networks involved in banditry and abductions.
At the state level, Governor Nasir Idris deployed his deputy, Senator Umar Tafida, to visit the affected school and brief government officials, as the governor was away on official assignment at the time of the incident.
Parents gathered at the school premises on Monday, many visibly distressed, awaiting updates on the search for their children.
Police spokesperson CSP Nafiu Abubakar confirmed that 25 students were taken and said that security operatives had begun combing surrounding forests as part of the rescue mission.
Community members continued to offer prayers for Vice Principal Makuku, whom many described as a brave educator who lost his life defending the students under his care.
The Maga abduction adds to a troubling pattern of attacks by armed groups targeting schools in northern Nigeria over the past decade.
Incidents such as the kidnapping of 317 girls in Jangebe (2021), the mass abduction from Kankara (2020), the Dapchi schoolgirls’ abduction (2018), and the globally condemned Chibok attack of 2014 continue to cast a shadow over educational institutions in the region.
For residents of Kebbi, Sunday night’s attack has deepened fears, as many believe bandits are becoming increasingly emboldened despite ongoing military operations in the northwest.
Security agencies said operations will continue until all abducted students are located.
Authorities have urged the public to remain calm and cooperate with investigators, while promising regular updates as the rescue effort progresses.
