Gunmen have kidnapped 25 girls and killed at least one teacher at a boarding school in Kebbi state, Nigeria, according to authorities on Monday.
The abduction occurred around 4 a.m., and, at this point, no group has taken responsibility for the attack.
Nafiu Abubakar Kotalkosi, a police spokesperson, informed the media that the assailants were armed with “sophisticated weapons” and clashed with security personnel before abducting the girls.
“Joint teams are currently conducting a meticulous search of potential escape routes and the nearby forest in a coordinated effort to rescue the abducted students and apprehend those responsible,” he noted. Tragically, it was reported that one individual was killed, and another was injured in the process.
Abdulkarim Abdullahi Maga, a local resident whose daughter and granddaughter were taken, recounted that the attackers arrived on motorbikes. He stated, “They went directly to the teacher’s residence and killed him before attacking the security guard.”
Nigeria’s Information Minister, Mohammed Idris, expressed the government’s commitment to ensuring the safe return of the girls and bringing those accountable to justice. He stated, “The Federal Government conveys its deep concern and solidarity with the families affected by the abduction from Maga Public Girls Secondary School. We empathize with their pain and are resolute in ensuring the girls’ safe return.”
Idris also highlighted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to the protection of all Nigerians, particularly schoolchildren. The government condemned the attack on innocent students and the murder of school staff performing their duties.
This unfortunate incident comes amid a troubling trend of mass kidnappings in northern Nigeria over the last few years. In 2014, the kidnapping of over 200 schoolgirls by Boko Haram militants from a secondary school in Chibok incited global outrage and the #BringBackOurGirls movement.
Recently, concerns have arisen about ongoing violence against children and young women in educational settings, with reports of additional abductions from various regions. For instance, it has been noted that a significant number of children, mainly internally displaced women and girls, were abducted from a school in Kaduna state while gathering firewood in Borno state.
Congressman Riley Moore from Virginia called for prayers and acknowledged the plight of the kidnapped girls, urging the Nigerian government to take more decisive action against the ongoing violence.
