One of the 25 schoolgirls abducted from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School (GGCSS) in the Maga community of Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State has escaped from captivity and reunited with her family, according to the school’s principal.
The principal confirmed on Tuesday that the student fled from the kidnappers late Monday and reappeared at her family home just hours after the attack.
No fewer than 25 students were taken during the early Monday morning assault on the school, which was carried out by heavily armed bandits. The attack left one staff member dead and another injured. The incident occurred around 4am when the attackers stormed the school and engaged police officers on duty in a heavy exchange of gunfire. Despite the officers’ efforts, the assailants scaled the school’s perimeter fence and forcibly removed the students from their hostel.
During the operation, a staff member identified as Hassan Makuku lost his life, while another, Ali Shehu, sustained gunshot injuries to his right hand. Confirming the return of the escaped student, the principal, Musa Rabi Magaji, stated that another student, who was not among the 25 officially confirmed abducted, also managed to escape in the immediate aftermath of the incident. “One is part of the 25 abducted, and the other one returned earlier. They are safe and sound,” he said.
Following the attack, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, visited the school and directed troops under Operation FANSAN YANMA to intensify search and rescue efforts to recover the remaining abducted students. In a statement, he ordered commanders to launch “intelligence-driven operations and relentless day-and-night pursuit of the abductors.” He added, “We must find these children. Act decisively and professionally on all intelligence. Success is not optional.”
Security agencies have since expanded operations across forests and remote communities surrounding the school in an effort to track down the kidnappers and rescue the remaining girls. While no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction, it was earlier reported that the attackers were mostly young men dressed in military camouflage and speaking the Fulani language, according to the wife of the vice-principal who was killed during the attack.
The incident has drawn strong condemnation from security analysts, Nigerians, and members of the international community, who expressed concern over the worsening security situation. Mass kidnappings in schools have become increasingly common in northern Nigeria over the past decade, with criminal gangs historically responsible, although jihadi fighters have expanded their presence in recent years, further complicating the region’s security challenges.
