One Of 25 Abducted Kebbi Schoolgirls Escapes From Terrorists' Den, Says Principal
One of 25 schoolgirls abducted from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School (GGCSS) in the Maga community of Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State has reportedly escaped from the terrorists’ captivity and reunited with her parents, according to the school’s principal.
The principal confirmed on Tuesday that the student who fled from the captors late Monday reappeared at her family home hours after the terrorist attack, according to The A
ssociated Press (AP).SaharaReporters had reported that no fewer than 25 students were abducted from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, early Monday morning, according to confirmation by the Kebbi State Police Command.
The attack, carried out by heavily armed bandits, left one staff member dead and another injured.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafi’u Abubakar Kotarkoshi.
The incident reportedly occurred around 4am when the assailants stormed the school and engaged police officers on duty in a fierce gun battle.
Despite the officers’ efforts, the attackers scaled the school’s perimeter fence and forcibly removed the students from their hostel.
The police spokesperson confirmed that one Hassan Makuku lost his life during the attack, while Ali Shehu sustained gunshot injuries to his right hand.
Confirming the return of the escaped student, the principal, Musa Rabi Magaji, told the AP that another student, who was not among the 25 students officially confirmed abducted, also escaped in the immediate aftermath of the abduction.
“One is part of the 25 abducted, and the other one returned earlier,” the AP quoted Magaji as saying. “They are safe and sound.”
SaharaReporters had also reported that following the attack, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, visited the school and directed troops under Operation FANSAN YANMA to scale up search and rescue operations to rescue the abducted students.
Shaibu, in a statement issued by the Nigerian Army on Tuesday, ordered commanders to launch “intelligence-driven operations and relentless day-and-night pursuit of the abductors.”
He said, “We must find these children. Act decisively and professionally on all intelligence. Success is not optional.”
Security agencies have since expanded their operational footprint across the forests and remote communities surrounding the school as they work to track down the kidnappers and free the remaining students.
While no particular terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the abduction, SaharaReporters earlier reported that the wife of the vice-principal, who was killed during the attack, said that the attackers were mostly young men in military camouflage speaking the Fulani language.
Security analysts, Nigerians, and the international community have strongly condemned the attack and the escalating insecurity in Nigeria.
Mass kidnappings from schools have become increasingly common in northern Nigeria over the past decade.
While criminal gangs were once the primary perpetrators, jihadi fighters have also expanded their presence in the region, further complicating the security landscape.
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