Inside Maga Schoolgirls’ Abduction: Widow, Parents, Residents Recount Night of Terror in Kebbi

The night armed bandits invaded Government Girls Comprehensive School, Maga in Kebbi State, remains a nightmare that survivors and families of victims are struggling to forget.

For Amina Hassan Makuku, the wife of the late Vice Principal killed during the attack, the tragedy still feels unreal. The 35-year-old mother of four had just settled down to breastfeed her 11-month-old baby when she heard movements outside their room. Initially, she assumed goats had wandered into their garden.

Moments later, three armed men stormed into their home.

“They asked my husband, ‘Are you Malam Hassan?’ He said yes. They told him they had come to kill him,” she recalled. “He stood up reciting ‘Allahu Akbar’ before they shot him. He fell at my feet.”

The bandits ordered her to follow them, but she refused. They then forced her 15-year-old daughter, Khadija, to lead them to the school hostels. When the security guard hesitated to open the gate, the bandits shot him and took his phone. As they stormed the hostel to capture students, Khadija escaped into the darkness.

The attack ended with the abduction of 25 schoolgirls.


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Families in Agony

Among the grieving parents is Aisha Sani, mother of eight, who now has two daughters in captivity. She said gunshots heard around midnight were mistaken for routine security patrols.

“We woke up to discover bandits had taken several girls, including my two daughters,” she said. For weeks before the attack, Aisha said she repeatedly had disturbing dreams she now believes were a warning.

Abdulkarim Abdullahi Maga, 52, also lost two daughters, 13-year-old Ummukhalsum and 12-year-old Gawau, both JSS2 students. He also lost his father-in-law, the security guard killed during the attack.

“Their mother hasn’t been eating. She’s losing weight,” he said.


Warnings Ignored

Residents say the attack could have been prevented. Danjuma Umar, a community member, said locals had informed security personnel days earlier about suspicious movements.

“We notified them of the planned attack, but nothing was done,” he said.

A security source, however, said the attackers used deception to mislead security operatives by first approaching the Wasagu axis. By the time the diversion was detected, the bandits had descended on Maga.

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Fear, School Closures, and Search Efforts

In the aftermath, schools in surrounding communities have shut down, and panic has spread. Some parents reportedly fainted upon hearing that their daughters had been kidnapped.

Community leader Shehu Magaji said security forces are following leads, and vigilantes are assisting in combing the forests. Residents claim to have sighted groups of girls with armed men near the Marina River, which borders Zamfara and Kebbi states.

Public analyst Muhammad Rafi acknowledged the government’s efforts but insisted that more local vigilantes, who know the terrain better, should be involved.


Calls for Government Support

The elder brother of the slain Vice Principal, Muhammad Yakubu Makuku, called on the Federal Government to strengthen security and support the nine children left behind by the late school official.

Since the attack, the community has remained on high alert, avoiding late-night activities while vigilante groups work with security personnel to prevent further assaults.