Hours after it emerged that a school was attacked, its Vice Principal killed, and students abducted in Kebbi State, there are reports of ongoing attacks in another axis of Kebbi and Niger States with reports that many on the Magama (Niger -Mararabar Yauri axis are on the run.
A source told Everyday.ng that residents are running helter-skelter, with many fleeing into the bushes.
Asked if anyone or group was being targeted, the source said: “It’s random picking of people for ransom and also cows.”
Recal that early Monday morning, gunmen launched a deadly raid on the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) in Maga, located in the Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State. According to the Kebbi State Police Command, 25 female students were abducted, while the school’s Vice Principal, Hassan Makuku, was killed during the attack.
The assailants, described by authorities as “bandits,” struck at approximately 4:00 AM, armed with “sophisticated weapons,” and reportedly exchanged gunfire with security personnel before forcing their way into the school.
Police units stationed at the school engaged the attackers, but the gunmen scaled the perimeter fence, entered the hostels, and carried off the students to an undisclosed location.
In addition to killing the vice principal, Ali Shehu, a security guard, sustained a gunshot wound to his right hand.
Following the attack, a large-scale rescue operation was launched. The Kebbi Police Command, together with military personnel and local vigilante groups, are combing suspected escape routes and nearby forests in search of the abducted girls.
The state’s Commissioner of Police, Bello M. Sani, has reaffirmed his force’s “unwavering determination” to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure the safe return of the students, urging the public to remain calm and supportive.
On the political front, the Deputy Governor, Senator Umar Tafida, has been dispatched to Maga to assess the situation on behalf of Governor Nasir Idris, who is currently out of the state.
Residents of Maga described a scene of terror and panic. According to a local, the gunmen arrived in large numbers, opening fire as they moved in, and there was no resistance from the school.
The late vice principal, Makuku, was reportedly shot while trying to protect his students.
The school in Maga has been targeted before, and the region has experienced a surge in bandit attacks, particularly in the north-west of Nigeria.
This attack reinforces a growing pattern of school kidnappings in the region, where criminal groups (often referred to simply as “bandits”) frequently abduct children for ransom, rather than for ideological reasons.
According to reports, this is not the first mass abduction in Kebbi: previous incidents include abductions from schools such as the Federal Government Girls College, Birnin Yauri.
Separately, there have been recent bandit raids on roads in Kebbi and Niger States. For example, in October 2025, six passengers were kidnapped along the Kontagora–Yauri road, and there have also been cattle rustling operations reported in certain villages.
The attack highlights persistent security vulnerabilities in rural and semi-rural areas of northwestern Nigeria. Schools, especially boarding schools, continue to be soft targets for well-armed groups.
The style of the attack—mass abduction of students and the killing of a school administrator—points toward ransom-driven banditry rather than terrorism linked to insurgent ideologies. Local sources suggest “random picking” of people, including for ransom and cattle theft, is a common tactic.
The immediate deployment of police, military, and vigilante forces reflects how seriously authorities are treating the incident. However, success will depend on timely intelligence, community cooperation, and sustained pressure on the kidnappers.
Beyond the physical danger, such attacks instill fear in communities, disrupt education, and may discourage parents from sending children (especially girls) to boarding schools.
