NIGERIA – Twenty-four schoolgirls remain missing in Nigeria after they were kidnapped on Sunday night from their school in the Maga District of Kebbi State. Armed men stormed the compound while the students were asleep, overpowering security guards and forcing the girls into nearby forested areas. During the attack, the assistant headteacher was shot dead while attempting to protect the students.
Parents rushed to the school early the next morning, many in distress and desperate for information about their children’s whereabouts. Community members say the incident has created widespread fear and uncertainty throughout the area.
Nigeria’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, condemned the attack and announced that he had postponed a planned trip to South Africa, where he was due to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit. He said the government would deploy all necessary resources to secure the safe return of the girls and vowed that those responsible would be “relentlessly pursued.”
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the abductions, and the identity of the attackers remains unknown. Security analysts note that several armed groups and criminal gangs are active in northwestern Nigeria, where mass kidnappings for ransom have become increasingly common.
The Nigerian police and military have launched joint search-and-rescue operations, combing surrounding forests and monitoring possible escape routes used by the kidnappers.
This latest kidnapping is part of a troubling pattern of attacks on schools in northern Nigeria. Extremist groups and armed bandits have targeted educational institutions for years, with human rights organisations warning that the escalating insecurity is threatening children’s access to education—particularly for girls.
Meanwhile, the community in Maga remains tense, with some nearby schools temporarily closed as a precaution. Families of the abducted students continue to urge the government to act swiftly to bring their daughters home.
