A violent attack on a girls’ secondary school in northwestern Nigeria has left one staff member dead and 25 students missing after armed men stormed the facility early Monday morning.
Police authorities confirmed that a group of heavily armed gunmen invaded Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, on November 17. According to officers at the scene, the attackers entered the school compound while firing shots into the air, causing panic among students and staff.
The police said tactical units stationed near the school immediately responded and exchanged gunfire with the assailants. However, the attackers had already broken through the school’s perimeter and forced their way into the students’ hostel before security forces could stop them. The armed men fled with 25 schoolgirls, taking them into nearby forested areas.
During the attack, the school’s vice principal, Malam Hassan Makaku, was shot and killed. A teacher later reported that Makaku died while trying to barricade a door to protect students from the gunmen. Another member of staff sustained an injury to the hand during the incident.
In a statement, the Nigeria Police Force said that security agencies acted swiftly once the alarm was raised.
“A combined team of police tactical units, military personnel, and local vigilante groups has been deployed,” the statement said. “They are actively pursuing the attackers and searching known escape routes and surrounding forests to rescue the abducted girls.”
The mass abduction follows a pattern of school kidnappings across northern Nigeria, where armed groups have increasingly targeted educational institutions for ransom and intimidation. Parents of the missing girls have gathered at the school, anxiously awaiting updates as the search continues.
Authorities have urged the public to remain calm and assured that every effort is being made to track the kidnappers and secure the safe return of the students.