Bandits Kill Vice-Principal, Abduct Female Students in Kebbi School Assault

Bandits have launched a deadly attack on the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS), Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, killing the Vice-Principal, Hassan Yakubu Makuku, and abducting an unspecified number of students.

The Kebbi State government has confirmed the incident, according to Arise TV, but said details remain sketchy as authorities continue to assess the situation.

Local residents said the attack occurred early Monday morning, around 5 a.m., before dawn prayers. Witnesses reported that the bandits, who arrived on motorcycles from the neighbouring Rijau forest, stormed the school with ease. Vice-Principal Makuku was shot while trying to protect the students, and a security guard sustained injuries during the assault.

Aliyu Yakubu, a resident of Maga, said the incident has thrown the community into fear and mourning. “The attack has created panic among residents. We are now living in fear, and the school has become a shadow of itself,” he said.

Sources added that the abducted students were taken by the bandits as they fled the school compound, and locals believe the attackers may still be within the area. Community leaders have called on both the Kebbi State and Federal Governments to intervene quickly to rescue the girls and restore security.

Kebbi State has experienced a surge in school attacks in recent years, part of a wider pattern of insecurity in northwestern Nigeria. One of the most devastating incidents occurred on June 17, 2021, when armed assailants stormed the Federal Government College in Birnin Yauri, killing a police officer and abducting at least 80 students and five teachers.

As of this report, the police have not issued an official statement. CSP Nafiu Abubakar, the Public Relations Officer of the Kebbi State Police Command, did not respond to calls for comment.

The latest attack underscores the growing threat posed by armed groups targeting schools in northwestern Nigeria and has renewed calls for urgent government action to protect students and restore public confidence in the safety of educational institutions.