Two girls escaped after armed men abducted at least 25 students at a girls' secondary school in Maga, Kebbi state; one escapee was treated for a leg injury. A teacher was killed protecting pupils and a security guard later died of gunshot wounds. Authorities, including police and the military, have launched intensive searches, while senior officials vowed to recover the remaining students. Observers note mass kidnappings in northern Nigeria have increased since 2014.
Two Girls Escape After Armed Men Abduct at Least 25 Students at Kebbi Girls' School
Two girls escaped after armed men abducted at least 25 students at a girls' secondary school in Maga, Kebbi state; one escapee was treated for a leg injury. A teacher was killed protecting pupils and a security guard later died of gunshot wounds. Authorities, including police and the military, have launched intensive searches, while senior officials vowed to recover the remaining students. Observers note mass kidnappings in northern Nigeria have increased since 2014.
05:21 AM, 11/19/2025Security
Two girls escaped Tuesday after armed men abducted at least 25 students from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi state, local officials said.
Hussaini Aliyu, a member of the Danko Wasagu local council, said the two children slipped away when the captors led them into a bushy area and ran across nearby farmland. "They are back and are safe," he said; one of the girls received treatment for a leg injury.
Officials reported that the abductions occurred in the early hours of Monday. During the attack a teacher was killed while trying to protect pupils, and a security guard later died of gunshot wounds in hospital.
Federal authorities expressed deep concern and vowed to act. President Bola Tinubu was described by government spokespeople as "unwavering in his commitment to protect every Nigerian, especially schoolchildren." Information Minister Mohammed Idris Malagi said officials "share in the pain" of affected families and were moving quickly to recover the remaining students.
Search and response
Police described the suspects as a "gang of armed bandits." Security forces, volunteer civilians and military personnel have been deployed to search forested and rural areas around the school for possible captives.
Maj. Gen. Waidi Shaibu: "You must continue day and night fighting. We must find these children."
Context
Human Rights Watch and other observers say mass kidnappings have increased across northern Nigeria since 2014, when the militant group Boko Haram abducted hundreds of schoolgirls. Armed groups in the region often carry out abductions for ransom or to extract concessions from authorities.
Previous large-scale incidents include the 2020 abduction of more than 300 schoolboys in the same broader region and other attacks that same year that took dozens of staff and students. Nigerian military operations last year led to the rescue of more than 130 kidnapped staff and pupils in northern Kaduna.
The latest attack underscores persistent security challenges for schools in northern Nigeria and the urgent need for coordinated search-and-rescue and community-protection measures.