Wednesday, January 14, 2026 - 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.
One of 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 sensitization
sessions had been conducted in Zuru, Yauri, Jega, Bunza and Argungu, with the
Birnin Kebbi meeting marking the final phase.
Bande emphasized 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 sensitizing school administrators on security
awareness and preventive measures.
0 Comments