Attack on a girls' school in Nigeria: Twenty-five students kidnapped in Kebbi State. The vice-principal was killed.

A new, devastating mass kidnapping has rocked northwest Nigeria. During the night between Sunday and Monday, a group of armed men attacked the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in the administrative area of Danko/Wasagu, in the State of Kebbi, taking away at least twenty-five female students and killing the school's vice principal. This is the latest episode in a long string of attacks against schools and educational institutions in the region, which have become systematic targets for criminal gangs operating in the area.

The raid in the night: dynamics of the attack

According to the reconstruction provided by local police, the attack occurred in the early hours of the morning, a few minutes before dawn prayers. A gang "equipped with sophisticated weapons" and "tactically coordinated" apparently scaled the school fence, immediately opening fire on security guards to make their way to the dormitories. The girls, caught in their sleep, were forcibly dragged outside and loaded into getaway vehicles.

During the assault he was killed vice principal, Malam Hassan Yakubu Makuku, who would have attempted to block the advance of the attackers. A guard, Ali Shehu, was injured. The armed men then headed towards the nearby Zamfara State, an area known for the presence of bandit groups with solid logistical bases in the surrounding forests.

The authorities' response and the community's fear

Units of the police intervened on site police,army and civil militias, engaged in a vast search and rescue operation in the forests and escape routes used by the kidnappers. Deputy Governor Umar Tafida, who immediately went to the scene of the attack, specified that the exact number of the abducted girls is "still being verified", while the police commissioner Beautiful M. Sani He called on the population to "remain calm and vigilant" and to collaborate with the investigations.

In the Kebbi region, already plagued by insecurity for years, fear has returned to dominate the streets. "Going to school has become an act of courage," residents comment, aware that schools are prime targets for gangs who thrive on kidnappings and ransoms, in the absence of a stable state presence.

A Deep-Rooted Phenomenon: Precedents in Northern Nigeria

What happened in Maga is the second mass kidnapping in Kebbi State in four years. In 2021beyond 80 students and staff members The Yauri High School students were kidnapped and only partially released after months and after paying large ransoms. Some of the young women were raped and forced to give birth while in captivity.

The wave of kidnappings is not unique to Kebbi. In March 2024, Other 287 students They were kidnapped from a school in Kuriga, Kaduna State, including primary school children. The bandits demanded a ransom of 622mila U.S. dollars, threatening to execute the children.

The best known precedent, however, remains that of 2014, when the jihadist group Boko Haram he seized 276 female students in Chibok, Borno State. The international mobilization – with the famous campaign “Bring Back Our Girls” also supported by Michelle Obama – managed to secure the return of many girls, but nearly 100 are still missing.

According to a report by Save the Children, between 2014 and 2022 in Nigeria were kidnapped over 1.680 studentsThe rural areas of the northwest, where the state struggles to maintain territorial control, have become fertile ground for armed gangs operating with paramilitary techniques, local intelligence networks, and a ruthless economic logic based on ransoming kidnapped victims.

The religious and political dimension

The Danko/Wasagu area, part of theEmirate of Zuru, has a strong Muslim majority and has been experiencing profound instability for years. The State of Kebbi applies the Sharia since 2001, and the Christian presence – once significant – has almost completely dissolved due to social pressures and widespread violence.

The issue of kidnappings also has an international dimension. In the past, foreign politicians have denounced Nigeria's failure to protect religious minorities and students. Among the most controversial statements was that of the US President. Donald Trump on X: “I order our War Department to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be swift, fierce, and gentle, just as terrorist criminals attack our beloved Christians. Beware: the Nigerian government had better act quickly.”

Investigations underway, no claims of responsibility

Currently no group claimed responsibility for the attack. Authorities have not indicated whether contact has been made with the kidnappers or whether there is a ransom demand. Police have confirmed only that "a joint team is combing the surrounding forests and possible escape routes" in an attempt to recover the students e identify those responsible.