Gunmen Abduct 25 Schoolgirls in Northwestern Nigeria

In the early hours of Monday, November 17, 2025, gunmen attacked the Government Girls' Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, located in Kebbi State's Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area. The assailants, armed with sophisticated weapons, killed the school's vice principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, and abducted 25 female students.

According to police spokesperson CSP Nafiu Abubakar, the attackers stormed the school around 4:00 a.m., shooting sporadically before scaling the perimeter fence to access the hostels. A staff member, Ali Shehu, sustained a gunshot injury to his right hand during the assault.

In response, a combined team of police tactical units, military personnel, and local vigilantes has been deployed to search the surrounding forests and known bandit routes in an effort to rescue the abducted students and apprehend the perpetrators. The Commissioner of Police, CP Bello M. Sani, reaffirmed the command's commitment to safeguarding lives and property in the state.

This incident is part of a series of similar attacks in northern Nigeria, where armed groups have frequently targeted educational institutions for mass abductions, often motivated by ransom demands. Since the notorious 2014 Chibok abduction by Boko Haram, over 1,500 students have been kidnapped in similar incidents.