iDeemlawfulTwo of the 25 female students kidnapped by bandits from Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State, have reportedly escaped from their captors.
An official from Danko Wasagu LGA, Hussaini Aliyu, confirmed the development to the BBC on Tuesday.
According to the official, the two girls fled as they were being marched into the bush by the bandits and managed to escape through nearby farmland.
Aliyu said the students had “returned and are safe,” adding that one of them required medical attention after injuring her leg during the escape.
It was reported on Monday morning that no fewer than 25 students were abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area.
The raid, carried out by heavily armed bandits, also left one staff member dead and another wounded.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafi’u Abubakar Kotarkoshi.
The incident reportedly occurred around 4 a.m. when the attackers stormed the school and engaged police officers on duty in a fierce gun battle.
Despite the officers’ resistance, the gunmen scaled the school’s perimeter fence and forcefully removed the students from their hostel.
The police spokesperson confirmed that one Hassan Makuku died during the attack, while Ali Shehu sustained gunshot injuries to his right hand.
Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, said President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate rescue of the female students.
Meanwhile, Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu condemned the attack and reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to safeguarding all Nigerians, especially schoolchildren.
Bello Muhammad Sani, the Commissioner of Police in Kebbi, said additional police tactical units, along with military personnel and vigilante groups, have been deployed to the area.
Sani said the combined security team is currently combing suspected escape routes and adjoining forests in a coordinated search and rescue operation aimed at recovering the abducted students and apprehending the perpetrators.
