One of the schoolgirls kidnapped from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Kebbi on Sunday has escaped and made her way back home.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the school principal, Musa Rabi Magaji, confirmed that the student broke free just minutes after the attackers struck. He added that another girl—who was not among the 25 officially confirmed abducted—also managed to flee shortly after the incident.
“One is part of the 25 abducted, and the other returned earlier,” Magaji said, adding that both girls are “safe and sound.”
Earlier reports revealed that the bandits killed the school’s vice principal, with several unidentified bodies later discovered on the school grounds.
“They came in large numbers at night and started shooting sporadically before gaining access to the school,” a source had said.
Reacting to the attack, the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu considers the protection of Nigerians—particularly schoolchildren—a fundamental responsibility of the government. He condemned the assault, describing it as “a reprehensible attack on innocent students,” as well as the killing of school staff who were simply performing their duties.
Idris said security and intelligence agencies have been directed to locate and rescue the abducted students immediately and ensure the perpetrators face justice. He added that the Federal Government is strengthening internal security through improved military, policing, and intelligence operations, alongside enhanced regional cooperation with ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Multinational Joint Task Force to dismantle terrorist networks across West and Central Africa.
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Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has ordered troops under Operation FANSAN YANMA to intensify the search-and-rescue mission. During his visit to Kebbi on Monday, he directed that operations continue around the clock until all the missing girls are found.
International bodies, including UNICEF, have condemned the attack and called for swift action to protect schools and secure the safe return of the abducted students.
