Update: Bandits Attack GGCSS Maga, Shoot Principal, Kill Vice Principal, Abduct Female Students

Tension has gripped the Zuru Emirate of Kebbi State following a late-night attack on Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) Maga in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, during which bandits killed the school’s Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Yakubu Makuku, and abducted an unspecified number of students.

Maga, a community located in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of the State, has come under multiple attacks in recent time.

A resident of Maga, Aliyu Yakubu said the bandits invaded the school around 5 am on Monday without any resistance.

Another resident, Malama Murjanatu Hassan Gishiri, who confirmed the incident on Monday, said the attackers stormed the school at night and operated freely, throwing the community into panic.

She described the invasion as “a heartbreaking tragedy that has thrown the entire region into deep fear and mourning”, adding that the bandits moved in large numbers and overpowered the area without resistance.

Gishiri said the late Vice Principal was shot while attempting to protect students from the attackers.

“People in the community have been offering prayers for his soul, asking Allah to grant him mercy, a peaceful resting place, and to console his family over this painful loss,” she said.

Efforts to get official comments from security agencies proved unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

Residents appealed to the government to act swiftly to rescue the abducted students and to strengthen security around schools and communities in the area, which have suffered repeated attacks by bandits.