A young female student who was taken along with 24 others from a school dormitory in northwestern Nigeria managed to escape and reach safety, according to the school’s principal as reported by The Associated Press on Tuesday. The abduction occurred in the early hours of Monday when armed individuals attacked the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town, Kebbi state.
Authorities revealed that the assailants breached the school compound by climbing over the fence, engaging in gunfire with law enforcement officers, and ultimately abducting the girls while also causing harm to a staff member. Although no specific group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, analysts and locals note that criminal gangs frequently target educational institutions, travelers, and rural communities for ransom. These bandits, often former herders, have resorted to violence against farming communities following disputes over scarce resources.
Incidents of mass abductions in schools are prevalent in northern Nigeria, particularly in regions such as Kebbi, Zamfara, and Sokoto states, known for their ongoing conflicts and criminal activities. The escaped student returned home the same day of the abduction, with another student managing to elude the attackers during the initial raid and avoiding capture, according to the school principal.
Security forces and local hunters have intensified their search efforts to locate and rescue the remaining missing students, combing nearby forests where gangs are known to hide and monitoring key routes leading to the school. Political figures including Kebbi Gov. Nasir Idris and Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu have visited the school and directed security operations to apprehend the abductors, emphasizing the urgency in locating the abducted children.
As families anxiously await news of their loved ones, eyewitnesses recounted the chaotic events of the predawn attack, with residents expressing frustration and anger over the situation. The prevalence of abductions, including the recent incident, underscores the security challenges in the region, exacerbated by a lack of prosecution of offenders and corruption that hinders the effective supply of weapons to security personnel while empowering criminal elements.
Security analysts attribute the escalating insecurity to strategic abductions aimed at garnering attention, as criminal groups exploit the vulnerabilities within the system to perpetrate such heinous acts. The ongoing crisis of abductions in Nigeria continues to instill fear among communities, with many now hesitant to send their children to school due to the prevailing threats and economic hardships.
The situation remains fluid as authorities and security agencies are working tirelessly to ensure the safe return of the abducted students and prevent future incidents of this nature.