Armed assailants attacked a boarding school in northwestern Nigeria before dawn on Monday, abducting 25 schoolgirls and killing at least one staff member, authorities reported.
The incident occurred at the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Danko-Wasagu area of Kebbi State, with no group immediately claiming responsibility. The motivation behind the attack remains unclear.
Police stated that the gunmen, armed with “sophisticated weapons,” stormed the school around 4 a.m., engaging guards in a brief exchange of gunfire before abducting the students. The vice principal was killed while reportedly attempting to protect the girls, and another staff member sustained gunshot wounds.
Authorities have launched a coordinated search and rescue operation, combing escape routes and surrounding forests in an effort to recover the abducted students and apprehend the perpetrators.
Nigeria has been grappling with a complex security crisis, particularly from loosely organized armed bandits who specialize in kidnappings for ransom. These groups, operating mainly in the northern region, are distinct from extremist organizations like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, whose attacks are religiously motivated.
Student abductions have been a recurring threat in Nigeria since 2014, when Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from Chibok in Borno State, sparking global outrage. Since then, more than 1,500 students have been abducted in the north, with many held for weeks or months to extort ransoms or exert control over local communities. In March 2024, over 130 children were rescued after a two-week captivity in Kaduna State.
While raids on schools have decreased in recent years due to security measures, including temporary school closures in vulnerable areas, the latest attack highlights the ongoing risks faced by students in poorly policed regions.
