Tension has taken over the Maga community in Kebbi State after a pre-dawn attack on the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in the Danko Wasagu area. Terrorists reportedly seized 25 students and killed a staff member during the invasion.
The Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafiu Abubakar Kotarkoshi, confirmed the attack in a statement on Monday. He said the armed attackers, who carried sophisticated weapons, stormed the school around 4 am and opened fire while making their way in.
“The police tactical units deployed in the school engaged them in a gun duel,” he said. “Unfortunately, the suspected bandits had already scaled through the fence of the school and abducted twenty five students from their hostel to an unknown destination.”
Abubakar added that one staff member, Hassan Makuku, was shot dead, while another, Ali Shehu, sustained an injury to his right hand from a gunshot.
Following the incident, additional police tactical squads, military personnel and local vigilante groups were deployed to track the terrorists’ movement and rescue the students.
“They are currently combing the bandits’ routes and nearby forests with a view to rescuing the abducted students and possibly arresting the perpetrators of the dastardly act,” he said.
He explained that the Commissioner of Police, Bello M. Sani, had restated the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state. Abubakar appealed to residents to remain calm and continue supporting security operations.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ahmed Idris, also confirmed the attack. He said the government was still verifying the exact number of abducted students.
“The deputy governor, Senator Umar Tafida, has been dispatched to the school to assess the situation on behalf of Governor Nasir Idris who is currently out of the state,” he told our correspondent.
He assured the public that the state government was working with security agencies to secure the girls’ safe return and restore normalcy.
