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Two Girls Escape After Mass Kidnapping at Nigeria Boarding School
Two students escaped their armed captors after at least 25 children and a teacher were abducted from a boarding school in Kebbi state, north-western Nigeria, local officials confirmed Tuesday. The pair fled into nearby farmland as gunmen led them into the bush, Hussaini Aliyu, a representative of Danko Wasagu council, told the BBC.
Both girls have been recovered, though one sustained a leg injury during the escape and required medical attention, Aliyu added. The assault, which occurred early Monday, left two staff members dead: a teacher killed while shielding students and a security guard who later succumbed to gunshot wounds in hospital.
Search and Rescue Underway
A combined force of soldiers, police, and volunteers is scouring forested areas near Maga town in an effort to locate the remaining hostages. Nigeria's army chief of staff, Maj Gen Waidi Shaibu, urged troops deployed to Kebbi state to persist in their efforts, declaring,
"You must continue day and night fighting. We must find these children."
The attack unfolded at approximately 04:00 local time (03:00 GMT) on Monday, when assailants-described by police as "bandits"-stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School. Authorities reported that the gunmen engaged in a shootout with police before breaching the school's perimeter fence and seizing students from their hostel.
Families in Distress
Relatives of the kidnapped children endure an agonizing wait. One father, whose daughter remains in captivity, told BBC Hausa that his family has been "crying non-stop." He recounted how his two daughters, both enrolled at the school, hid in a toilet during the attack. When the gunmen threatened to kill anyone still hiding, one daughter surrendered out of fear, while the other remained concealed.
The father, who rushed to the school after learning of the abductions during early-morning prayers, described his missing daughter as "a very bright and easy-going person." Meanwhile, the family of the slain security guard-whose granddaughter and great-granddaughter are among the kidnapped-expressed profound grief. "I found him in his pool of blood," his daughter told the BBC, adding that she has been unable to eat or sleep since the attack.
Government Response
Nigeria's federal government expressed "deep concern" over the abductions, with Information Minister Mohammed Idris Malagi stating that authorities "share in the pain" of the affected families. Malagi affirmed that President Bola Tinubu remains "unwavering in his commitment to protect every Nigerian, especially schoolchildren," and that urgent efforts are underway to secure the hostages' release.
Persistent Security Crisis
The incident underscores the ongoing threat posed by armed groups in northern Nigeria, where schools have repeatedly been targeted for mass kidnappings over the past decade. Such attacks often aim to extract ransom payments or pressure the government into negotiations.
