Kebbi State was thrown into mourning on Monday after bandits carried out a brazen midnight assault on communities in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, abducting dozens of residents, including 25 students of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Maga.
The attackers first stormed Wasagu town, whisking away an undisclosed number of locals before moving to the school, where they seized the schoolgirls. One staff member was shot dead during the raid, while another was left injured.
Police authorities confirmed the incident, with the state command’s spokesperson, CSP Nafiu Abubakar, revealing that a joint police–military operation had been activated to track down the assailants and rescue the victims.
In the wake of the attack, Governor Nasir Idris dispatched his deputy, Senator Umar Tafida, to the affected communities to provide on-the-spot assessment and assure residents that the government was not relenting in its security efforts.
Security sources believe the assailants crossed into Kebbi from neighbouring Zamfara — a trend that has heightened fears across border communities repeatedly hit by armed groups.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, Abdullahi Zuru, Governor Idris lamented the persistent attacks on rural settlements, noting that Kebbi has remained vulnerable to incursions from surrounding states and even neighbouring countries.
He appealed to residents to remain united and continue offering prayers for peace, saying his administration was fully committed to confronting insecurity “with every available resource.”
According to the statement, the government has intensified its support for security agencies through logistics, funding, and operational reinforcements. The governor recently convened high-level security meetings with prominent national figures, including the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III; former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa (rtd.); and former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd.).
“To strengthen surveillance and rapid response across high-risk areas, the state has distributed 100 Hilux patrol vehicles and 5,000 motorcycles to security agencies,” the statement added.
Rescue operations are ongoing.
