Kebbi State is mourning after armed bandits killed the vice principal of the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS), Maga, and abducted 25 female students during a late-night raid on Sunday.
The attackers stormed the school, located in the Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, moving through hostels and staff quarters without resistance. Vice Principal Malam Hassan Makuku was reportedly shot while attempting to protect the students.
Witnesses said the assault caused widespread panic, sending residents and students fleeing into nearby forests.
The Federal Government condemned the attack as “reprehensible” and assured Nigerians that security and intelligence agencies had been instructed to rescue the abducted girls and bring the perpetrators to justice.
A statement by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, emphasized that protecting schoolchildren is a solemn national responsibility.
Security operations are being strengthened, with greater coordination among the military, police, and intelligence units, as well as cooperation with regional partners like ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Multinational Joint Task Force.
“The government will not relent until these children are safely returned, and those responsible are held accountable,” the statement read, urging citizens to remain calm while rescue efforts continue.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also reacted, describing the attack as tragic and a reflection of rising insecurity under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, criticised the administration for what the party described as its failure to safeguard lives and property, calling on President Bola Tinubu to act decisively to protect Nigerians.
“This tragic incident further highlights the alarming rise in insecurity, which has become the lived reality for many Nigerians under the Tinubu-led APC administration,” the PDP said.
The party commiserated with the families of the slain vice principal, the abducted students, and the school staff, and demanded urgent federal action to end the cycle of attacks.
Security operatives, including police tactical units, military personnel, and vigilante groups, have been deployed to comb nearby forests in a bid to rescue the abducted students.
Governor Nasir Idris has reassured parents that every possible effort is being made to secure the safe return of the girls.
Residents continue to express grief and fear as the region reels from yet another attack on an educational institution.
The incident is the latest in a series of school kidnappings across northern Nigeria, including previous cases in Nasarawa, Plateau, Kano, Katsina, and the internationally condemned Chibok and Dapchi abductions.
Authorities have urged the public to stay calm and cooperate with the ongoing investigation while promising updates on the rescue operation.
