Amina Hassan has recounted the terrifying night when armed bandits killed her husband, the vice principal of Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School Gada in Kebbi State, and abducted 25 schoolgirls from a nearby school.
The attack occurred early Monday, plunging families in the community into fear. Security agencies confirmed the students were kidnapped, while police said one staff member was killed and another injured during the raid.
According to the Kebbi Police Command, the heavily armed bandits scaled the school fence, broke into the hostel, and exchanged gunfire with officers on duty. They killed a staff member, injured another, and escaped with the students.
Speaking to DW, Amina described how she and her family were woken by unusual footsteps around 3:30 am. Initially thinking it was cattle, she alerted her husband before realizing armed men had entered their home.
“My name is Amina Hassan, wife of the vice principal of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School Gada, Kebbi State, who was killed by armed bandits,” she said. “We were asleep when I heard footsteps near our house and the school hostel. I woke my husband thinking cows had entered our farm, but then I saw men in army camouflage carrying guns.”
Amina said the attackers threatened her husband before killing him. “They warned him not to do anything unusual. My husband asked to pray before they shot him. They allowed him, and after his final prayer, they killed him. When I tried to go near him, they threatened to shoot me too,” she said.
The bandits also attempted to abduct Amina, but she refused. “They wanted me to follow them after killing my husband, but I said no. They told the children to lie down. When they left, I tried to leave with the kids and saw they had surrounded the area, including the school hostels,” she explained.
Amina identified the attackers as young men in army camouflage, with three entering the hostel while others stayed outside. She said their voices suggested they were Fulanis.
“They were young men in army camouflage. Three went inside the hostel, and the rest stayed outside. From their voices, it seemed they were Fulanis,” she added.
Her account highlights the terror and danger faced by her family and the community during the deadly raid.