Armed bandits have killed a school administrator and kidnapped at least 25 female students following a nighttime raid on Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga community, Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
The attack, which occurred on Sunday night, saw heavily armed criminals storm the educational institution in large numbers, unleashing gunfire before gaining access to the school premises and selecting their victims.
A local source, Sulaiman Abdullahi, confirmed that the vice principal of the school was killed during the assault, while several other unidentified bodies were discovered on the school grounds in the aftermath of the raid.
“They came in mass numbers at night, began shooting sporadically before they got access to the school,” Abdullahi told journalists, describing the terrifying ordeal that left the community in shock.
The source added that Nigerian Air Force jets were observed flying surveillance missions over the area by 8 am on Monday morning, while heavily armed security personnel cordoned off the school compound and surrounding areas as part of emergency response measures.
The Kebbi State Police Command has confirmed the attack and announced the deployment of tactical units to begin rescue operations aimed at recovering the abducted students from their captors.
CSP Nafiu Abubakar, the command’s spokesperson, stated that security agencies are intensifying efforts to ensure that none of the students in captivity suffer harm at the hands of the bandits.
He disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Bello Sani, has personally taken charge of the response and is determined to bring an end to the criminal activities plaguing the state.
The latest abduction adds to a disturbing pattern of attacks on educational institutions across Nigeria’s northwest region, where armed criminal gangs have repeatedly targeted schools, abducting students for ransom and creating a climate of fear that has disrupted learning in numerous communities.
Kebbi State, which shares borders with neighboring Zamfara and Sokoto states where banditry has been rampant, has increasingly become a target for these criminal groups who operate from forest hideouts and launch surprise attacks on vulnerable communities.
The targeting of female students specifically echoes previous mass abductions that have traumatized Nigeria, including the 2014 Chibok girls kidnapping and the 2021 Jangebe schoolgirls abduction in Zamfara State, both of which drew international condemnation and highlighted the persistent insecurity facing educational institutions in northern Nigeria.
Parents and guardians in the affected community are reported to be in distress following the attack, with many demanding urgent action from authorities to secure the safe return of their daughters.
The killing of the vice principal represents a particularly brutal escalation, as previous school attacks have typically focused on abduction for ransom rather than direct killings of staff members, suggesting that the bandits may be becoming more violent in their operations.
Security analysts have long warned that inadequate protection of schools in vulnerable areas, combined with the difficult terrain that provides cover for criminal groups, has created an environment where such attacks can occur with relative ease despite government promises to secure educational institutions.
The Nigerian Air Force’s deployment of surveillance aircraft and the police tactical team’s mobilization indicate that authorities are treating the incident with high priority, though questions remain about whether the response will be sufficient to prevent similar attacks in the future.
As rescue operations continue, the focus remains on ensuring the safe recovery of all 25 abducted girls while preventing the bandits from moving them deeper into forest hideouts where rescue becomes significantly more difficult.
