A massive security operation is underway in Kebbi State after armed bandits launched a deadly pre-dawn assault on Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, killing a Vice Principal and abducting at least 25 students.
Confirming the incident on Monday afternoon, the spokesperson of the Kebbi State Police Command, CSP Nafiu Abubakar Karkokoshi, said the attack occurred around 4:00 a.m. when armed men wielding sophisticated weapons stormed the school in Danko district, Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, firing sporadically.
Police tactical officers on duty engaged the attackers in a gun battle, but the bandits had already scaled the school fence and forced their way into the hostels, seizing 25 female students.
Karkokoshi noted that one Hassan Makuku was shot dead while another victim, Ali Shehu, sustained a gunshot injury to his right hand.
Following the incident, the Police Command deployed additional tactical teams, while soldiers and vigilante groups were mobilised to intensify the search-and-rescue efforts. Security operatives are currently combing surrounding forests and suspected escape routes.
Kebbi State Commissioner of Police, CP Bello M. Sani, condemned the attack as “dastardly” and reaffirmed the Command’s resolve to safeguard lives and property. He appealed to residents to remain calm, vigilant, and supportive of ongoing security operations.
The attack heightens concerns over the growing wave of school-targeted abductions in the North-West, where criminal groups continue to prey on educational institutions.