Kebbi: Panic as Bandits Hit School, Shoot Principal, Kill VP, Abduct Female Students

• Terrorists have reportedly attacked Maga Comprehensive Girls’ Secondary School in Kebbi state, abducting several students
• One staff member was reportedly killed, the school's principal shot, and a guard injured by the rampaging outlaws
• Residents said the attackers have not gone far and are urging urgent federal and state government action to rescue the girls

CHECK OUT: Share Your Feedback on Legit.ng & Win Access to Our Copywriting Course!

Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering security matters and counterinsurgency in Nigeria and Africa.

Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi state - Armed gangs terrorising northern Nigeria, known locally as bandits, have attacked the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS), Maga, Danko Wasagu area of Kebbi state.

As reported on Monday morning, November 17, by HumAngle, the bandits gunned down the school's vice principal (VP), Hassan Yakubu Makuku, and abducted an unspecified number of students.

A resident, Aliyu Yakubu, disclosed that the bandits invaded the school around 5 am on Monday, November 17.

ATTENTION: Protect Yourself From Fake News — Learn How In Our Free Short Course. Get a Certificate!

Daily Trust quoted the source as saying:

“The attack has created panic among residents of Maga. We are now in fear and mourning."

He stated that the school's heads were shot while trying to protect the students during the attack.

The source added:

“He (the VP) was shot as he tried to protect his students from being taken by the bandits. It’s a great loss for the community and the school."

Kebbi attack: Police mute

As of the time of this report, the police had not spoken about the incident.

Nafiu Abubakar, the spokesperson of the police in Kebbi state, did not respond to several calls made to his phone lines.

Banditry and security crises in Nigeria

Legit.ng reports that bandits long targeted central and northwestern states, raiding villages, stealing cattle and kidnapping for ransom. But they have increasingly targeted schools, snatching students or schoolchildren and herding them into forest hideouts to negotiate ransom payments.

The raids have mostly taken place in the northwestern region. They are separate from armed operations centred on the northeast, where the Boko Haram terrorist group made global headlines in 2014 when it abducted more than 270 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok, Borno state.

The mass kidnappings are just one challenge for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s security forces, which are also fighting an armed conflict in the northeast and separatist tensions in the country’s southern region.

Read more Kebbi state news:

• APC suspends prominent member for intimidating guests with snake in Kebbi
• Kebbi Governor, Bagudu commended as APC kickstarts 2027 campaign for Tinubu
• NYSC member posted to Kebbi sheds tears after seeing accommodation PPA gave her, video trends

Lakurawa kingpin killed in Kebbi

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a combined team of security operatives, including members of a vigilance group, killed notorious Lakurawa kingpin, Maigemu, in Kebbi state.

The state’s director of security, cabinet office, AbdulRahman Usman-Zagga, said this in a statement.

He said Maigemu was killed at Kuncin Baba in Arewa local government area (LGA), a remote area with challenging terrain, after a fierce gun battle.

ATTENTION: Help Shape the Future of Legit.ng — Leave Feedback and Win Copywriting Course Access.

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.