Khadijat Lawal, an SS3 student of Government Comprehensive Girls School, Maga, in Kebbi State, has described the terrifying moment bandits stormed her school and abducted her classmates—including her two younger sisters. For her, November 17, 2025, is a day she said will remain unforgettable.
The attack, which occurred around 5am, left the school community devastated after the Vice Principal was k!lled and 26 students taken away. Khadijat escaped by hiding in a toilet, but her sisters were among those marched away by the gunmen. Speaking through her father, Malam Lawal Altine, she recounted how the girls were jolted from sleep by strange voices outside and the sound of men forcing their hostel door open.
Moments later, the attackers fired multiple shots into the air. In panic, Khadijat and her sisters ran to hide in a toilet, locking the door behind them. But when the bandits broke into the hostel, her sisters panicked and emerged from the hiding spot. They were immediately captured along with other girls. Khadijat remained hidden until she heard her father’s voice calling for missing students.
Her father, who has three children in the school, said he is overwhelmed with worry. “She was lucky, but her other sisters are still missing. I’m sick with worry about their whereabouts,” he said. By the next day, devastated parents still gathered at the school, praying and hoping for good news.
One of the mothers, Hajiya Rani Maga, has refused to return home or eat since she heard her daughter was among those taken. Fighting through tears, she said, “Every minute my mind is with her. I don’t know what they are doing to her. I can’t leave without my daughter.” She appealed to both state and federal authorities to speed up rescue efforts, stressing that every hour matters.
In another emotional account, Amina Hassan, wife of the school’s head of security who was k!lled in the attack, narrated how bandits broke into their home. She said her husband, Yakubu Makuku, was shot after refusing to lead the attackers to the girls’ hostel. “Armed men burst into our room. He refused to show them the hostel, and they shot him. I saw it happen,” she said. She added that the school’s gateman, Ali Shehu, was also shot dead.
Residents remain gripped by fear. Many have abandoned their farms, uncertain of what might come next. A community member, Abubakar Dabai, said the people are traumatised but are holding onto the governor’s promise of increased security. “We want to believe him. We will continue to pray for the safe return of our girls,” he said.
Parents of the abducted girls remain heartbroken. Another father, Aminu Usman Lawal, said he had barely prepared to go to the farm when news reached him that his daughter Hauwa had been taken. “People here don’t feel safe anymore. We need more security so we can live normal lives again,” he said.
Another mother, Fatima Ibrahim, spoke with trembling hands: “I just want my daughter back. Nothing else matters.”
Clarifying earlier reports, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Halimatu Muhammad Bande, confirmed that 26 students were taken, not 25 as widely reported. She added that two students—Salmat and Hauwa—escaped, leaving 24 still in captivity.
She assured that both the state government and the federal authorities have deployed security personnel and activated all necessary channels to rescue the girls. “We don’t know where they are, but God will bring them back safely,” she said.
As Kebbi State prays and waits, the nation watches closely—hoping for the safe return of the missing schoolgirls and an end to the terror plaguing rural communities.