Brief
Gunmen kidnapped 25 girls from a boarding school in Kebbi State, Nigeria, early Monday, resulting in the death of at least one staff member, officials reported.
The attack took place around 4 a.m., but no group has yet claimed responsibility. Police spokesperson Nafi’u Abubakar Kotarkoshi shared that the assailants were armed with “sophisticated weapons” and fired on guards before taking the girls.
A coordinated search and rescue operation is underway, with law enforcement teams examining potential escape routes and nearby forests. Kotarkoshi added that one person was killed and another wounded during the incident.
Local resident Abdulkarim Abdullahi Maga revealed that the attackers arrived on motorcycles, initially targeting the teacher’s residence and killing him before moving on to the guards.
This incident is part of a troubling pattern of mass kidnappings in northern Nigeria. In 2024, reports indicated that 280 students were abducted in Kaduna State, and at least 200 others were taken in Borno State. The United Nations has highlighted these growing concerns for safety, especially among vulnerable populations like women and children searching for firewood.
This wave of abductions echoes a notorious incident from 2014 when over 200 schoolgirls were taken from Chibok by Boko Haram, sparking widespread outrage and the international #BringBackOurGirls movement.
