One of the 25 students abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, has escaped and returned home, school authorities confirmed on Tuesday.
The school principal, Musa Rabi Magaji, told the Associated Press that the girl broke free “within minutes” of the attack, while another student, who was not part of the abducted group, also made it back safely.
Magaji said, “One is part of the 25 abducted, and the other one returned earlier. They are safe and sound.”
News360 Info had earlier reported that the bandits killed the school’s vice principal, Malam Hassan Yakubu Makuku, during the raid. Several bodies were also reportedly discovered on the school premises after the attack.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, plunging the Maga community into fear and grief.
Reacting to the attack, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reaffirmed that protecting Nigerian children remained “a solemn duty of the State.”
Idris described the attack as a “reprehensible assault on innocent students” and condemned the killing of school officials carrying out their lawful duties.
He disclosed that security and intelligence agencies have been ordered to immediately locate and rescue the abducted students, adding that the perpetrators “must face the full weight of the law.”
The minister added that the Federal Government is strengthening internal security by enhancing military, policing, and intelligence capabilities.
He also noted that Nigeria is deepening regional cooperation with ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Multinational Joint Task Force to dismantle terrorist and criminal networks operating across West and Central Africa.
COAS Orders Round-The-Clock Operations In Kebbi
In a separate response, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, directed troops under Operation FANSAN YANMA to intensify their search-and-rescue operations.
During his visit to Kebbi on Monday, he told soldiers to sustain day-and-night operations until all abducted schoolgirls are safely recovered.
