Gunmen Abduct 25 Schoolgirls in Northwestern Nigeria

In the early hours of Monday, November 17, 2025, armed assailants attacked the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, Nigeria. The attackers, equipped with sophisticated weapons, killed the school's vice principal, Malam Hassan Yakubu Makuku, and abducted 25 female students.

The incident occurred around 4:00 a.m. in the Danko-Wasagu area. Police spokesperson Nafi'u Abubakar Kotarkoshi stated that the assailants engaged security personnel in a gunfight before gaining access to the hostels and taking the students.

A combined team of police tactical units, military personnel, and vigilantes has been deployed to search the surrounding forests and suspected escape routes in an effort to rescue the abducted students and apprehend the perpetrators.

Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, condemned the attack, describing it as "unacceptable," and called for urgent action to secure the safe release of the students.

This abduction is the latest in a series of attacks on educational institutions in northern Nigeria, where armed groups have frequently targeted schools for mass kidnappings.