The Kebbi State Police Command has officially confirmed that armed bandits killed a school staff member and kidnapped 25 female students during a pre-dawn assault on Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area.
CSP Nafiu Abubakar Kotarkoshi, spokesperson for the command, revealed in a statement that the heavily armed attackers stormed the school at approximately 4:00 am on Monday, November 17, 2025, firing indiscriminately as they breached the institution’s perimeter.
According to the police image maker, tactical units stationed at the school engaged the invaders in a fierce gun battle in an attempt to repel the attack. “The police tactical units deployed in the school engaged them in a gun duel,” Kotarkoshi stated.
However, despite the security presence, the bandits had already managed to scale the school’s fence and gained access to the students’ hostel before resistance could effectively stop them. “Unfortunately, the suspected bandits had already scaled through the fence of the school and abducted twenty-five students from their hostel to an unknown destination,” the spokesperson explained.
The police confirmed that Hassan Makuku, identified as a staff member rather than the vice principal as earlier reported, was shot dead during the assault. Another staff member, Ali Shehu, sustained a gunshot wound to his right hand and is receiving medical treatment.
In response to the attack, Kotarkoshi disclosed that the command immediately mobilized additional police tactical squads, working in coordination with military personnel and local vigilante groups to pursue the fleeing terrorists and recover the abducted schoolgirls.
“They are currently combing the bandits’ routes and nearby forests with a view to rescuing the abducted students and possibly arresting the perpetrators of the dastardly act,” the police spokesman said, indicating that rescue operations were already underway across suspected bandit corridors.
The Commissioner of Police for Kebbi State, CP Bello M. Sani, has reassured residents of the command’s determination to protect lives and property throughout the state despite the brazen attack on the educational institution.
“The Commissioner reiterates the Command’s unwavering determination to safeguard the people of Kebbi State. He appeals to the public to remain calm, vigilant, and continue supporting police operations to maintain peace and stability,” Kotarkoshi conveyed on behalf of the police chief.
The state government has also weighed in on the crisis, with the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Nasir Idris, Ahmed Idris, confirming that authorities are closely monitoring the situation as it develops.
The governor’s spokesman noted that verification of the exact number of abducted students was still ongoing, suggesting that the figure of 25 might be subject to adjustment pending completion of a comprehensive headcount.
Ahmed Idris disclosed that Deputy Governor Senator Umar Tafida has been dispatched to the school to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the situation on behalf of Governor Nasir Idris, who is currently outside the state.
“The deputy governor, Senator Umar Tafida, has been dispatched to the school to assess the situation on behalf of Governor Nasir Idris, who is currently out of the state,” the chief press secretary stated.
He provided assurances that the state government is working in close collaboration with security agencies to ensure the safe return of all abducted students and restore normalcy to the traumatized community.
The attack on Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School represents the latest in a series of assaults on educational institutions across Nigeria’s northwest region, where armed criminal groups have made targeting schools a recurring tactic for obtaining ransom payments.
The pre-dawn timing of the raid, combined with the bandits’ ability to breach security despite the presence of police tactical units, raises fresh questions about the adequacy of protective measures at vulnerable schools in bandit-prone areas.
Parents and community members in Maga are reported to be in anguish following the abduction, with many expressing frustration over the persistent insecurity that continues to threaten young people’s access to education in the region.
The deployment of the deputy governor to the scene signals the seriousness with which the state government is treating the incident, though critics have long argued that high-level visits after attacks do little to prevent future occurrences without comprehensive security reforms.
As rescue operations intensify, security forces face the familiar challenge of tracking bandits through difficult terrain where criminal groups maintain camps and hideouts, often moving abductees quickly to complicate recovery efforts.
