One Of 25 Abducted Kebbi Schoolgirls Escapes—Report

One of the 25 schoolgirls abducted from a secondary school in northwestern Nigeria has escaped and is safe, authorities confirmed on Tuesday, as hunters and security agencies step up the search for the remaining missing students, according to AP News reports.

The girls were taken before dawn on Monday when armed men stormed Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State.

The school principal, Musa Rabi Magaji, confirmed that the first escapee returned home late on Monday. Another student escaped immediately during the attack and was not taken.

“They are safe and sound,” Magaji told The Associated Press.

A video verified by AP shows the two girls, believed to be in their early teens, surrounded by relatives in their village.

The attack triggered a swift reaction from security forces.

The Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Waidi Shaibu ordered troops under Operation FANSAN YANMA to intensify the search-and-rescue mission for the abducted students.

Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, visited the school on Monday and pledged quick action to bring back the girls.

Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, called for “intelligence-driven operations and relentless day-and-night pursuit of the abductors.”

He said, “We must find these children. Act decisively and professionally on all intelligence. Success is not optional.”

Residents of Maga described the early-morning attack with fear and sorrow. Abdulkarim Abdullahi said he heard gunfire from his home.

“I was at home when I suddenly heard gunshots from the school. We were told that the attackers entered the school with many motorcycles,” he said.

Amina Hassan, wife of the school’s vice principal, Hassan Yakubu Makuku—who was killed during the attack—recounted what happened.

“Three of them entered and asked my husband, ‘Are you Malam Hassan?’ and he responded, ‘Yes, I am.’ They told him that we are here to kill you.”

On Tuesday evening, President Bola Tinubu sent Vice President Kashim Shettima to Kebbi State to meet grieving families of the abducted schoolgirls. He assured them that the government is working to secure their safe and fast return.

While the reports could not be independently confirmed as of Tuesday night, efforts are ongoing to contact the state’s police command.

The Kebbi school raid is part of the wider insecurity crisis in northern Nigeria, where bandits and armed groups often clash with farming communities and target schools, travellers, and remote settlements. The remaining abducted girls are still missing as security teams continue their search.