25 Schoolgirls Abducted in Nigeria; Vice Principal Shot Dead as Rescue Operation Underway

Attack on Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga

Armed assailants stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi state, on Monday, Nov. 17, abducting 25 female students and killing a staff member, police said.

The Nigeria Police Force reported that "a gang of armed bandits with sophisticated weapons, shooting sporadically, stormed the school." The attackers scaled the school perimeter and took 25 girls from their hostel to an unknown location before security teams could secure the compound.

"Police tactical units posted at the school engaged the attackers in an exchange of gunfire, but the suspects had already removed the students," a police statement said.

Local witnesses and school personnel identified the slain staff member as the vice principal, Malam Hassan Makaku. A teacher said Makaku was fatally shot while attempting to block the bandits from entering the school building. Another staff member sustained a hand injury during the incident.

Search and Rescue Efforts

Authorities said police, military personnel and local vigilante volunteers have launched a joint search-and-rescue operation. Teams are combing likely escape routes and nearby forested areas in an effort to locate the girls and apprehend those responsible.

As of the latest reports, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Investigations and rescue operations are ongoing.

Context

Kidnappings and armed raids on schools have occurred in the northwest and central regions of Nigeria in recent years, prompting coordinated responses by security forces and local communities. Officials have urged anyone with information about the incident to contact authorities to help secure the safe return of the abducted students.