One of the 25 students abducted from a secondary school in Kebbi State has escaped her captors and returned home safely, while security forces intensify efforts to rescue the remaining 24 girls.
The mass kidnapping took place before dawn on Monday at the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga. Gunmen attacked the school, abducted the students from their dormitory, and killed the school’s vice principal.
The school’s principal, Musa Rabi Magaji, confirmed the escape, telling The Associated Press: “One is part of the 25 abducted and the other one returned earlier. They are safe and sound.”
He detailed that the student who escaped from the kidnappers fled through nearby forests and arrived home late on Monday, hours after the abduction. The principal also clarified that a second student had managed to evade capture entirely during the initial attack.
In response, Nigeria’s military leadership has become directly involved. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, visited the school and directed soldiers to conduct what the army described as “intelligence-driven operations and relentless day and night pursuit of the abductors.”
In an army statement, he emphasized, “We must find these children. Act decisively and professionally on all intelligence. Success is not optional.”
While no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, analysts and locals suggest it is likely the work of one of the armed gangs that frequently target schools and villages for kidnappings and ransom in northwestern Nigeria.
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