One of the 25 schoolgirls kidnapped from a secondary school in Kebbi State has escaped and is now safe, according to officials on Tuesday.
Security forces and local hunters have since intensified the search for the remaining abducted students, AP News reported.
The abduction occurred early Monday when armed men stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State.
School principal Musa Rabi Magaji confirmed that one of the girls returned home late Monday, while another fled immediately during the attack and avoided being captured.“ They are safe and sound,” Magaji told The Associated Press.
A video verified by AP shows both girls, believed to be in their early teens, reunited with family members in their village. Following the incident, the Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, directed troops under Operation Fansan Yanma to intensify the search-and-rescue mission.
Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris also visited the school, assuring families that all efforts were underway to recover the remaining students.
Lt. Gen. Shaibu further ordered “intelligence-driven operations and relentless day-and-night pursuit of the abductors,” stressing, “We must find these children… Success is not optional.” Residents of Maga described the predawn raid with fear and sorrow.
Abdulkarim Abdullahi said he woke to the sound of g¥nfire and later learned the att+ckers arrived on multiple motorcycles. Amina Hassan, wife of the slain school vice principal Hassan Yakubu Makuku, recounted how the gunmen entered their home, confirmed her husband’s identity, and killed him.
On Tuesday evening, President Bola Tinubu sent Vice President Kashim Shettima to meet affected families, assuring them of government commitment to securing the girls’ release.
The attack reflects a troubling pattern of school kidnappings and rural violence across northern Nigeria. As of Tuesday night, efforts to rescue the remaining girls continue, though some reports could not yet be independently verified.
