…FG Condemns Attack, Vows To Rescue Abducted Kebbi Schoolgirls
Bandits have reportedly abducted 25 students from the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) in Maga, Kebbi State.
It was gathered that the girls were whisked away during an attack by the gunmen on Sunday night at the school located in the Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of the state.
According to sources, the attackers killed the school’s Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, before abducting several schoolgirls.
Witnesses said the bandits operated without resistance and caused widespread panic, throwing the entire region into deep fear and mourning.
Makuku was reportedly shot while attempting to protect the students during the invasion.
The vice principal was reportedly shot while attempting to protect the students during the attack.
Community members have been offering prayers for his soul, asking Allah to grant him mercy, a peaceful resting place, and to comfort his family and loved ones over the painful and unjust loss.
The Kebbi State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafiu Abubakar, while confirming the incident, said 25 students were abducted.
According to sources, the attackers killed the school’s Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, before abducting several schoolgirls.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ahmed Idris, disclosed that the Deputy Governor, Senator Umar Tafida, had been dispatched to the school to assess the situation on behalf of Governor Nasir Idris, who is currently out of the state.
“The deputy governor is on his way to know the exact situation. The governor is not in the state for now, but his deputy will go on his behalf until he returns at any moment from now,” Idris said.
Concerned parents and residents are awaiting official updates on the fate of the abducted girls.
Abductions
There have been several attacks and abductions by bandits, especially in the northern part of the country.
The abduction of the students of the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, is the latest in the kidnap of schoolchildren by bandits.
In February 2021, bandits kidnapped 317 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Science Secondary School Jangebe in Jangebe, Zamfara State.
The incident happened at the all-female school located in the Talata-Mafara Local Government Area of the state.
The same month, gunmen raided the Government Science College Kagara, in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, and abducted students, teachers, and their family members from the school.
Twenty-seven students were among the 41 abductees.
In December 2020, bandits took three hundred and three students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina, into captivity.
In 2018, 110 students were kidnapped after Boko Haram invaded the Government Girls Science Technical College (GGSTC) in Dapchi on February 19, 2018.
There was global outrage when Boko Haram attacked the Girls Secondary School in Chibok, a town on the border between Borno and Adamawa states, and abducted about 200 students in April, 2014.
FG Condemns Attack, Vows To Rescue Abducted Kebbi Schoolgirls
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has condemned the attack on Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, which claimed the life of the Vice-Principal and led to the abduction of 25 students.
In a statement signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, on Monday, the Federal Government said security and intelligence agencies have been given clear directives to locate, rescue, and safely return the students, and to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
The government expressed deep concern and solidarity with the families of the abducted students, saying it shares in their pain and remains firmly committed to securing the release of the girls.
According to the Minister, President Bola Tinubu has reiterated that protecting every Nigerian, especially schoolchildren, remains a solemn responsibility of the State.
“The government condemns the reprehensible attack on innocent students and the killing of school officials who were carrying out their noble duty.
“Our security and intelligence agencies have been issued clear directives to locate, rescue, and safely return the students, and to ensure that the perpetrators face justice. The Federal Government will not relent until this objective is achieved.
“We assure Nigerians that strengthening internal security remains a top priority. The Federal Government is recalibrating the nation’s military, policing, and intelligence capabilities to more effectively prevent these attacks and respond with greater speed and precision whenever threats arise.
“Nigeria is also reinforcing cooperation with regional partners through ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to secure our borders and disrupt terrorist and criminal networks. We urge the public to remain calm and confident,” the statement read in part.
The students were reportedly whisked away on Sunday night when gunmen invaded the school located in the Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of the state.
According to sources, the attackers killed the school’s Vice-Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, before abducting several schoolgirls.
Witnesses said the bandits operated without resistance and caused widespread panic, throwing the entire region into deep fear and mourning.
