Terrorists abducted at least 25 schoolgirls during a midnight raid on Maga Comprehensive Girls’ Secondary School in Danko Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State on Monday.
The attackers also killed a teacher, Hassan Makuku, and a local guard identified as Ali during the invasion.
Residents who spoke with the press hinted that the assailants, widely referred to as bandits, accessed the community through forests linking Zamfara and carried out the operation despite the presence of two military checkpoints close to the school.
“One of the checkpoints is in Damarke,” a source living near Maga town said, according to PREMIUM TIMES.
“It is under Bukkuyum Local Government Area of Zamfara State, and it is about seven kilometers from the school.”
Locals and traditional leaders also pointed to another checkpoint situated less than a kilometre from the school.
“It is around Rabah junction in Maga,” a traditional ruler who requested anonymity said.
“The checkpoint is fortified with heavy military equipment including an armoured personnel carrier (APC).”
The traditional ruler estimated that the attackers abducted 25 students.
“The school is a boarding school and they only kidnapped the 25 students from one of the many hostels,” he added.
Meanwhile, two traditional leaders and a resident of a neighbouring community said that security personnel received intelligence ahead of the assault, and that Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris directed soldiers stationed at the Ribah junction checkpoint to move to the school.
“The soldiers indeed went to the school and left around 12 a.m.,” one of the traditional leaders said. “It was after the soldiers left that the bandits struck.”
As of the time of filing this report, the police, the military and the Kebbi State Government had yet to release an official statement on the incident.
More details shortly…
