25 Girls Abducted in Kebbi School Raid, Police Begin Rescue Operation
Fear has gripped the Maga community in Kebbi State after terrorists stormed the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School in the early hours of Monday, abducting 25 students and killing a staff member.
According to police spokesperson CSP Nafiu Abubakar Kotarkoshi, the attackers, armed with sophisticated weapons, invaded the school around 4:00 am, firing shots as they breached the premises.
Police tactical units reportedly engaged the assailants in a gun battle, but the attackers had already scaled the school fence and taken the girls from their hostel. One staff member, Hassan Makuku, was shot dead, while another, Ali Shehu, suffered a gunshot injury.
Following the incident, the police command deployed additional tactical squads, supported by military personnel and local vigilantes, to track the terrorists’ movement and rescue the abducted students. The search efforts are ongoing across suspected escape routes and forest paths.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Bello M. Sani, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting residents and urged the public to remain calm and support ongoing security operations.
The Kebbi State Government, through the Chief Press Secretary, Ahmed Idris, also confirmed the attack and said the exact number of abducted students was still being verified. Deputy Governor Senator Umar Tafida has been dispatched to the scene to assess the situation.
Parents and community members remain traumatized, anxiously awaiting news of the missing students. The attack comes years after a similar abduction at the Federal Government Girls College, Birnin Yauri, in 2021.
This tragic incident underscores the fundamental rights of every child to education, to protection from all forms of violence, and to be shielded from abduction.
