On Nov. 17, 2025, Nigerians awoke to the shocking news that 25 schoolgirls had been abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, a community in Kebbi state. During the overnight attack, the school’s vice principal was killed while attempting to protect the students.
Hours after the abduction, one of the girls managed to escape and return home. Her account provided critical information that helped security agencies track the kidnappers’ movements and launch a coordinated rescue effort.
In a statement released Tuesday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu confirmed that 24 of the abducted girls have now been rescued.
“I am relieved that all the 24 girls have been accounted for. Now we must put, as a matter of urgency, more boots on the ground in the vulnerable areas to avert further incidents of kidnapping. My government will offer all the assistance needed to achieve this,” Tinubu said.
Musa Rabi Magaji, principal of the primarily Muslim school, told the Associated Press that all the girls had been released but remained in government custody for evaluation. He said he had no immediate details on their physical or emotional condition.
Abdulkarim Abdullahi, whose two daughters, ages 12 and 13, were among the abducted, said authorities informed him that the girls were being transported to the state capital, Birnin Kebbi.
“I am excited to receive the news of their freedom. The past few days have been difficult for me and my family, especially their mother,” Abdullahi said in a telephone interview. “I will wait to hear from the government about their wellbeing, but I can’t wait to see them in good health.”
The Kebbi abduction is one in a growing wave of school kidnappings across Nigeria. Just last week, 300 students and staff from a Catholic school were taken by armed men. Fifty escaped, but the remaining captives are still being held.
So far, authorities have not confirmed whether any suspects in the Kebbi attack have been arrested. The Nigerian police say they are working tirelessly to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
School kidnappings have become a disturbing strategy for armed groups, who grow increasingly emboldened with each attack. Arrests are rare, ransom payments often go unacknowledged, and far too many victims never return home.
