Kebbi govt reopens Maga girls’ school months after deadly abduction

Kebbi State Government has reopened the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, months after a deadly bandit attack in which 25 schoolgirls were abducted and the school’s vice principal was killed.

The mass abduction occurred in the early hours of Monday, November 17, 2025, when armed gunmen stormed the boarding school in Maga, Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of the state.

The assailants killed the school’s Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Yakubu Makuku, during the raid and abducted 25 students from their dormitory.

DAILY POST reports that one of the abducted schoolgirls escaped on the day of the attack, while the remaining 24 were rescued on November 25, 2025, and reunited with their families following search and rescue operations by security forces.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Kebbi State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Halima Bande, said confidence had been restored among parents, students and school officials through counselling and the deployment of security personnel, paving the way for the resumption of academic activities.

“The abducted students have been rescued, and confidence has been restored through counselling and the presence of security personnel.

This has paved the way for the resumption of academic activities at Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga,” she said.

Dr Bande said the reopening followed a security meeting with principals and heads of secondary schools held in Birnin Kebbi.

She disclosed that Governor Nasir Idris had directed the deployment of additional security measures to ensure the safety of students and staff across public schools in the state.

The commissioner said the government had rolled out security awareness programmes for school principals and personnel, noting that similar sensitisation sessions had been conducted in Zuru, Yauri, Jega, Bunza and Argungu, with the Birnin Kebbi meeting marking the final phase.

Bande emphasised that safeguarding schools is a collective responsibility, urging administrators, teachers and students to remain vigilant.

She also advised school leaders to strengthen collaboration with host communities and security agencies as part of proactive safety strategies.

The commissioner commended the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and the Department of State Services, DSS, for their role in sensitising school administrators on security awareness and preventive measures.