Abducted Schoolgirl Escapes as Intensive Search Continues for Remaining Students
A courageous schoolgirl abducted alongside 24 of her peers from a dormitory in northwestern Nigeria has escaped and returned home safely, school authorities confirmed on Tuesday.
The student, taken during a pre-dawn raid on the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Kebbi state, managed to break free only hours after the attack.
Another girl, who was not among the 25 officially listed as abducted, also found her way back shortly after the gunmen struck.
According to principal Musa Rabi Magaji, both students are now “safe and sound,” offering a glimmer of relief in a community gripped by fear.
Security forces have since intensified search operations for the remaining missing girls. Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, visited the school and ordered troops to launch an intelligence-led, day-and-night pursuit of the armed kidnappers, insisting that “success is not optional.”
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, though locals and analysts point to armed gangs that frequently carry out mass kidnappings for ransom across northern Nigeria.
These groups, often composed of former herders who turned to violence amid conflicts over dwindling resources, have made schools prime targets due to the national and international outrage such abductions generate.
Residents and security experts attribute the persistent insecurity to corruption, weak law enforcement, and porous borders that allow a steady flow of weapons to criminal groups.
As one analyst noted, kidnappings in markets or on highways rarely draw broad attention, but the abduction of schoolchildren forces the nation, and the world, to confront the gravity of the crisis.
Every child has the right to learn, grow, and thrive in a safe environment, free from violence and fear. This includes the right to education, the right to protection from harm, and the right not to be abducted or subjected to any form of exploitation or cruelty.
