- One abducted Kebbi schoolgirl escapes and returns home safely
- 25 schoolgirls still missing after terrorists attacked Maga boarding school
- Army chief orders “day and night” operations to rescue kidnapped students
- Incident sparks international reactions amid rising insecurity in northern Nigeria
A schoolgirl abducted during the Kebbi schoolgirls kidnapping has escaped and returned home, giving families a rare moment of relief as security forces intensify efforts to rescue the remaining 25 abducted students. The escape came just hours after heavily armed terrorists stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, killing a staff member and taking dozens of girls into the surrounding bushes.
According to the school principal, Musa Rabi Magaji, the girl slipped away from the kidnappers late Monday night and found her way back home. She confirmed that another student, who was not part of the 25 recorded as abducted, also managed to flee amid the chaos.
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Security agencies have since expanded search-and-rescue operations across the forests as concerns grow over the repeated kidnapping of schoolchildren in Nigeria’s northwest, a trend that has persisted more than a decade after the infamous Chibok abduction.
The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Monday, has also drawn global attention. A Nigerian general, Major General Waidi Shaibu, recently appointed Chief of Army Staff, instructed troops in Kebbi to comb the area relentlessly until the missing students are found.
“You must continue day and night fighting. We must find these children,” he told the soldiers, urging them to leave no stone unturned.
Despite the quick response of local police, the attackers managed to breach the school fence, kill the vice-principal, and kidnap the girls before security forces arrived.
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The kidnapping has also ignited political reactions abroad, especially among supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Some have framed the incident as targeted persecution of Christians, claims Nigerian authorities have strongly rejected. Kebbi police confirmed that all the abducted students are Muslim, and officials insist that Nigeria’s security crises affect both Christians and Muslims alike.
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, revealed that the government is already in security talks with the United States, dismissing fears of foreign military strikes. “No, I do not think so,” he said, noting that dialogue between both countries has moved past such threats.
As rescue efforts continue, the escaped girl’s return remains the only positive news for families waiting anxiously for updates on their daughters.
