Gunmen have invaded Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS), Maga, Danko Wasagu area of Kebbi State, killing the a Vice Principal Hassan Yakubu Makuku, and kidnapping 25 female students.
Maga is a community in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of the state which has been experiencing multiple attacks in recent times.
A resident of Maga, Aliyu Yakubu said the bandits stormed the school around 5 am on Monday, and “created panic among residents of Maga. We are now in fear and mourning,” he said
Yakubu said the principal, Makuku, was fired at as he tried to protect the students from being kidnapped by the bandits during the attack.
“It’s a great loss for the community and the school,” he said.
The state spokesperson, CSP Nafiu Abubakar Kwatarkwashi , who confirmed the attack on Monday said the armed attackers, wielding sophisticated weapons, stormed the school at about 4:00 am, opened fire and forced their way in.
“The police tactical units deployed in the school engaged them in a gun duel, but “the suspected bandits had already scaled the fence of the school and abducted 25 students from their hostel to an unknown destination.”
He confirmed that one the Vice Principal of the school Makuku, was killed, while another, Ali Shehu, was wounded on his right hand by gunshot.
Kwatarkwashi said a joint team of soldiers, police and vigilantes have begun to track the movement of the terrorists to rescue the abducted girls.
“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.
Also spokesperson of Governor, Ahmed Idris, said the state government was closely monitoring developments, adding that “the exact number of abducted students is still being verified.
“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 said the government was working hand-in-hand with security agencies to secure the safe return of the students and restore normalcy to the community.
Parents and residents of Maga remain in anguish as they await further updates on the fate of the abducted girls.
In June 2021, bandits kidnapped some students of Federal Government Girls College, Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State and seven months later in January 2022, the bandits freed 30 students and a teacher after months of captivity, according to a local official.
