Bandits abducted 25 schoolgirls and killed a vice principal in Kebbi State, prompting national outrage and urgent rescue directives from government authorities.
Twenty-five students of Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, were abducted yesterday after armed bandits stormed the school, killing the Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, according to a report from VANGUARD.
Witnesses told reporters that the attackers invaded the school around 5 am, operated without resistance, and shot the vice principal as he tried to protect the students. Residents said the bandits arrived in large numbers, firing sporadically before gaining access to the school premises. Air force jets were seen hovering over the area hours later as security personnel cordoned off the scene.
Police spokesperson CSP Nafiu Abubakar confirmed the invasion, stating that the assailants scaled the fence, fired heavy gunshots, and whisked away 25 students despite a gun duel with police tactical units.
The Kebbi State government described the attack as “barbaric” and urged residents to remain calm, assuring that efforts were underway to rescue the girls. Governor Nasir Idris and other top officials visited the school community.
President Bola Tinubu ordered security agencies to urgently rescue the abducted students, condemning the attack and directing that the perpetrators be brought to justice.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also denounced the incident, calling for a major overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture.
In a separate incident, suspected bandits abducted a community leader in Nasarawa State, heightening fears amid renewed attacks in several communities.