Northern Nigeria is facing a renewed surge in mass kidnappings, with at least 145 people reported abducted over the past four days in Kebbi, Niger, and Zamfara states, raising fresh concerns about security as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.
Students Abducted in Kebbi Attack
The most recent incident occurred early Monday at Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State. Armed assailants stormed the school, killing a staff member and abducting 25 female students. A school guard was also injured during the attack.
Police confirmed that tactical units engaged the gunmen in a firefight, but the attackers managed to escape with the students. Additional security forces, including the military and local vigilantes, have been deployed to track the perpetrators along suspected bandit routes and surrounding forests.
A police statement said: “Around 0400hrs on November 17, 2025, a gang of armed bandits attacked the school, firing sporadically. One staff member, Hassan Makuku, was shot dead, and another, Ali Shehu, sustained injuries to his right hand.”
Kebbi State Police Commissioner Bello Sani reassured residents, urging calm while security forces continue operations.
Ongoing Violence Across the North
This attack comes amid a string of violent incidents in neighboring states. In Niger State’s Mashegu Local Government Area, bandits killed at least 16 vigilante members and kidnapped 42 residents in separate attacks.
In Zamfara State, Fegin Baza village in Tsafe Local Government Area suffered a raid on Saturday, leaving three dead and 64 people abducted. The following day, Tsohuwar Tasha village in Ruwan Doruwa Ward, Maru Local Government Area, saw 14 people—including 11 women and three children—kidnapped.
Communities in Zurmi, Shinkafi, Maradun, Tsafe, and Bungudu Local Government Areas have been repeatedly targeted in recent months, resulting in mass displacement and the imposition of levies and ransoms by armed groups, according to Daily Trust reports.
Federal Government Pledges Swift Action
The Federal Government condemned the Kebbi attack and pledged to ensure the safe return of the abducted students. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said President Bola Tinubu has reiterated the state’s responsibility to protect all Nigerians, particularly schoolchildren.
“Our security and intelligence agencies have been directed to locate, rescue, and safely return the students, and to ensure that the perpetrators face justice,” Idris stated. “The Federal Government will not relent until this objective is achieved.”
Authorities are also intensifying collaboration with regional partners, including ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Multinational Joint Task Force, to secure borders and dismantle criminal networks.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force and the military have launched intensive search-and-rescue operations in a bid to recover the abducted students and bring the attackers to justice.