Armed gunmen launched a deadly pre-dawn attack on a government girls’ boarding school in northwest Nigeria on Monday, killing the vice principal and abducting 25 female students in what authorities describe as yet another coordinated mass kidnapping targeting schools in the region.

Police say the assailants, heavily armed with rifles, stormed Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town at approximately 4:00 a.m., breaching the school’s perimeter fence after engaging security personnel in a fierce gun battle.

Police spokesperson Nafiu Abubakar Kotarkoshi confirmed that Vice Principal Hassan Yakubu Makuku was shot dead while attempting to resist the attackers. Another staff member sustained gunshot injuries and is currently receiving treatment.

Following the attack, additional police tactical units, soldiers, and local vigilante groups have been deployed to comb suspected escape routes and surrounding forests as part of an urgent search-and-rescue mission to recover the abducted students.

Growing Wave of School Kidnappings in Northwest Nigeria

The incident marks the latest in a long line of school abductions linked to armed criminal gangs operating across northwest Nigeria, groups commonly motivated by ransom payments. Despite repeated government assurances to improve security infrastructure, communities in the region remain vulnerable.

Nigeria has grappled with high-profile school kidnappings for more than a decade. The most infamous case occurred in 2014, when extremist group Boko Haram abducted 270 schoolgirls from Chibok, sparking global outrage. While many victims were eventually freed or escaped, a number remain missing to this day.

Security experts warn that the continued attacks underscore the worsening insecurity in the region and the urgent need for more effective intelligence gathering, rapid response systems, and community-based protection structures.

Authorities Vow to Rescue the Girls

Kebbi State police officials say all efforts are being intensified to bring the abducted schoolgirls home safely. The government has not yet confirmed whether the attackers have made ransom demands.

As the search continues, families and community members are calling for stronger federal intervention to prevent future school invasions and protect vulnerable communities from escalating violence.