Suspected armed bandits have raided the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) in Maga, Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, killing the school's vice principal and kidnapping at least 25 female students.
The attack, which unfolded today, Monday, November 17, 2025, at around 4 a.m., has reignited fears of a resurgence in school-targeted violence reminiscent of the infamous 2014 Chibok abductions.
Eyewitnesses described a scene of utter chaos as the gunmen, wielding sophisticated rifles, stormed the boarding school compound, firing sporadically to scatter students and staff.
The vice principal, Malam Hassan Yakubu Makuku, was fatally shot while heroically attempting to shield the terrified girls from harm. A security guard, identified locally as Ali, sustained injuries during the confrontation but is reportedly stable.
"The bandits came from the forests bordering Zamfara State," said a school staff member who spoke on condition of anonymity. "They moved swiftly, grabbing students before vanishing into the bush.
The vice principal stood in their way, and they didn't hesitate." Local residents noted that the assailants bypassed two nearby military checkpoints, highlighting ongoing vulnerabilities in the region's security apparatus.
Kebbi State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafiu Abubakar, confirmed the incident, stating that 25 students were abducted. "A combined team of police tactical units, military personnel, and vigilantes has been deployed to comb the bandits' escape routes and surrounding forests," Abubakar said in a statement. "We are committed to rescuing the girls and apprehending the perpetrators."
The Kebbi State Government echoed the urgency, with Governor Nasir Idris dispatching Deputy Governor Umar Tafida to the scene for an on-ground assessment. Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ahmed Idris, emphasized that authorities are compiling a full tally of the abducted students, whose exact number remains fluid amid the panic. "This is a dark day for our education system and our people," he remarked. "We stand with the families and will leave no stone unturned."
The raid has plunged the Zuru Emirate into mourning, with parents and community leaders converging on the school in desperate pleas for swift action. "Our daughters' futures are at stake," lamented one father, Aliyu Yakubu. "How many more must we lose before the government fortifies our schools?"
This incident underscores a troubling pattern of banditry in northwestern Nigeria, where armed groups have increasingly targeted educational institutions for ransom and recruitment.
Kebbi, along with neighboring Zamfara and Niger states, has seen a spike in such attacks, often linked to cattle rustling and territorial disputes. No group has claimed responsibility, but locals attribute the violence to loosely organized bandit syndicates operating from remote forest enclaves.
President Bola Tinubu's administration has vowed to eradicate insecurity nationwide, but critics argue that resource constraints and porous borders continue to hamper efforts. As search operations intensify, the nation watches anxiously, hoping for the safe return of the girls and an end to this cycle of terror. Updates will follow as more details emerge.