Save the Children has strongly condemned the abduction of 23 female students from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in the Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
Armed attackers reportedly stormed the school in the early hours of Monday, November 17, 2025, killing a staff member and injuring another before abducting the girls and taking them to an unknown location.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the organisation described the incident as a painful reminder of the ongoing security crisis in northern Nigeria, especially the northwest, where repeated attacks on schools have disrupted children’s education and left communities in fear.
“This horrific attack underscores the persistent threats to education in Nigeria, especially in the Northwest where children, particularly girls, continue to face violence and insecurity,” the statement read.
Duncan Harvey, Save the Children Nigeria’s Country Director, said the attack violates the fundamental rights of children.
“The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Nigeria’s Child Rights Act recognise education as a fundamental right. We all have a collective responsibility to ensure that children, regardless of their circumstances, can fulfil this right,” he said.
The organisation called on both the Federal Government and the Kebbi State Government to act swiftly to rescue the abducted students and bring the perpetrators to justice.
It also urged authorities to strengthen security around schools, especially in high-risk areas, by improving early warning systems, community-based protection structures, and rapid response mechanisms.
Save the Children further emphasised the importance of fully implementing the National Policy on Safety, Security, and Violence-Free Schools, as well as the Minimum Standards for Safe Schools, to ensure safer learning environments nationwide.
The group noted that while school attacks had reduced in recent years, this incident is the first major school abduction since March 2024, when more than 200 pupils were kidnapped in Kuriga, Kaduna State.
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According to its report, Education Under Attack in Nigeria, at least 70 school attacks occurred between February 2014 and December 2022, with 49 taking place in the northwest. These attacks resulted in the abduction of 1,683 learners, the killing of 184 students, and the destruction of 25 school buildings.
“The urgency to act now cannot be overstated,” the organisation warned. “Education is not a privilege; it is a fundamental right. Government, communities, and partners must unite to make every school a safe and protected place for learning. No child should pay for education with their life.”
