KEBBI STATE, Nigeria — Armed men attacked a boarding school in northwestern Nigeria before dawn on Monday, abducting 25 schoolgirls and killing at least one staff member, authorities confirmed.
The assault took place at the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Danko-Wasagu area of Kebbi state. Police spokesperson Nafi’u Abubakar Kotarkoshi said the attackers, armed with “sophisticated weapons,” stormed the dormitories around 4 a.m. and exchanged fire with guards before seizing the students.
Casualties and Response
The school’s vice principal was killed while reportedly trying to protect the students, and another staff member sustained gunshot wounds. Security forces have launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation, combing suspected escape routes and surrounding forests.
Rising Kidnappings
Nigeria faces a multidimensional security crisis, with amorphous groups of armed bandits specializing in kidnappings for ransom. These groups, distinct from militant organizations such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, have carried out numerous high-profile abductions across the northern region.
History of Student Abductions
The latest incident adds to Nigeria’s long history of school kidnappings. Since Boko Haram’s abduction of 276 students from Chibok in 2014, at least 1,500 students have been kidnapped nationwide. In March 2024, more than 130 schoolchildren were rescued after two weeks in captivity in Kaduna state.
Although raids on schools have declined in recent years due to security measures, including extended closures in hotspots, Monday’s attack underscores the persistent threat facing students in Nigeria’s mineral-rich but poorly policed northern region.