Nigeria Intensifies Search for Abducted Schoolgirls After Raid
Nigeria search for schoolgirls continued this week as security forces expanded their operations across Kebbi State. Gunmen abducted 25 students during a pre-dawn attack on Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School. The incident shocked the community and renewed concerns about student safety.
Witnesses said the attackers arrived on motorcycles around 4am. They carried rifles and appeared to plan the operation carefully. Police officers exchanged gunfire with them; however, the attackers scaled the school fence and seized the girls. The school’s vice principal was killed during the confrontation, adding to the tragedy.
No group claimed responsibility, and the motive remained unclear. Even so, authorities said armed gangs often operate in nearby forests. Therefore, security teams searched the surrounding areas and monitored major roads linked to the region.
Government and Military Response
Kebbi Governor Nasir Idris visited the school shortly after the attack. He assured families that rescue efforts would not slow down. In addition, Nigeria’s army chief, Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu, met with deployed troops. He ordered intelligence-driven operations and nonstop pursuit of the abductors. He urged soldiers to act decisively and “leave no stone unturned.”
This attack was the second major school abduction in Kebbi in four years. In 2021, armed groups kidnapped more than 100 students and staff. Many were released over two years after families paid ransoms. Some survivors returned with traumatic experiences, including forced marriages.
Across Nigeria, school kidnappings remain a national crisis. At least 1,500 students have been kidnapped since the Chibok abductions of 2014. Earlier this year, authorities rescued over 130 children after more than two weeks in captivity in Kaduna State.
Online reactions added political tension. Some US figures framed the attack through religious narratives. Nigeria rejected these claims, stating that all communities have suffered from insecurity.
