A young female student who was taken along with 24 others from a boarding school in northwestern Nigeria has managed to flee and is now safe, confirmed the school’s head to The Associated Press on Tuesday. Hunters have joined security forces in the quest to locate the missing students in forests near the school.
The abduction of the girls occurred in the early hours of Monday when armed individuals attacked the dormitory at the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town, Kebbi state. According to local authorities, the assailants breached the school fence, engaged in a shootout with police officers, took the girls, and fatally injured a school staff member.
Although no specific group has claimed responsibility for the abduction, experts and locals point out that criminal gangs often target schools, travelers, and rural communities for ransom kidnappings. Reports indicate that these groups mainly consist of former herders who have turned to violence following conflicts over scarce resources with farming communities.
Incidents of mass abductions at schools are particularly prevalent in northern Nigeria, and the Kebbi school is situated in close proximity to regions experiencing conflict, such as Zamfara and Sokoto states, known to harbor multiple criminal gangs.
The student who managed to escape returned home on Monday night, shortly after the abduction, as confirmed by the school principal, Musa Rabi Magaji. Another student also evaded the gunmen during the attack and was not taken captive, according to the principal.
“They are unharmed,” Magaji assured. A video authenticated by the AP shows the two schoolgirls, believed to be in their early teens, donning hijabs and surrounded by relatives and villagers. In Nigeria, high school students typically range in age from 12 to 17 years.
Security forces, together with hunters, have intensified search efforts to locate and rescue the remaining missing students, as reported by local officials. Teams have combed nearby forests, known hideouts for gangs, while others have been stationed along main roads leading to the school.
Kebbi Governor Nasir Idris visited the school on Monday, pledging efforts to secure the girls’ safe return. Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu also convened with troops in the aftermath of the attack, directing intelligence-driven actions and continuous pursuit of the abductors, as per an army statement.
“We must locate these children. Act decisively and professionally based on all available intelligence. Success is imperative,” stated the army chief.
The dormitory and classroom block, located within walking distance of each other, were found deserted by Tuesday morning. Families in Maga anxiously awaited updates on the release of their children, expressing anger and dismay.
Abdulkarim Abdullahi, a resident whose 13-year-old daughter and 10-year-old granddaughter were among those abducted, recounted overhearing gunfire from his residence during the assault. Amina Hassan, the wife of the school’s vice-principal Hassan Yakubu Makuku, revealed that the attackers broke into their residence on the school premises, resulting in her husband’s tragic demise. Hassan also served as the school’s chief security officer.
The region has witnessed over 1,500 student abductions since the seizure of 276 Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram militants over a decade ago. Apart from the extremist group, criminal bandits operate in the area, with experts noting their tendency to target schools to attract attention.
Security analysts and locals attribute the prevailing insecurity to the failure to prosecute known perpetrators and widespread corruption that hampers weapons supply to security forces while ensuring a steady flow to criminal factions.
Oluwole Ojewale, a security expert at the Institute for Security Studies, emphasized, “When it comes to strategic kidnappings like school children, that’s when it gains attention.”