The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has strongly condemned the early-morning abduction of 25 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) in Maga, Kebbi State, calling the incident a stark warning of the risks children and educators face amid rising insecurity in Nigeria.
The attack, carried out by heavily armed assailants around 4:00 a.m. on Monday, left the school’s vice principal, Hassan Makuku, dead, while at least one other person sustained gunshot injuries.
Authorities confirmed that the attackers scaled the school fence and abducted the girls from their dormitories after a fierce exchange of fire with security personnel.
In its statement on Tuesday, UNICEF described the event as “yet another grim example of the dangers faced by children and educators in conflict-affected regions, and called for urgent, strengthened protection measures.
This tragic incident … is a stark reminder of the urgent need to protect children, schools, and the personnel they rely upon to learn safely,” the organisation said.
Following the abduction, a combined force of police tactical teams, military personnel, and vigilantes have been deployed to comb nearby forests and suspected escape routes in an ongoing search-and-rescue operation.
According to state police, the assailants used sophisticated weapons and operated in considerable numbers.
In a rare breakthrough, one of the abducted schoolgirls managed to escape fleeing through forested terrain and returning safely home late Monday, the school’s principal confirmed.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the “swift rescue” of the abducted girls, emphasizing that protecting schoolchildren remains a key national priority. The federal government has pledged to intensify cooperation with regional partners and ramp up intelligence-driven support for security forces in the affected areas.
UNICEF has added its voice to calls for all perpetrators to be held accountable under both national and international law.
The agency highlighted that students, education facilities, and staff should be protected under international humanitarian norms.
It also reminded the government of its 2015 commitment to the Safe Schools Declaration, urging that concrete steps be taken to ensure the safety of learning environments during crises.
Security analysts and local observers say the raid echoes past mass abductions in Nigeria, including those in Chibok (2014), Jangebe (2021), and Yauri (2021), pointing to systemic gaps in school protection particularly in remote, rural areas.
According to local reports, the attackers may be part of loosely organized bandit groups that operate across forested belts in northwestern Nigeria, often motivated by ransom demands.Truth Nigeria identified the assailants in this latest attack as Fulani militants, noting that such attacks often combine financial motives with a symbolic message challenging state authority.
UNICEF reiterated its commitment to working with government agencies, civil society, and local communities to strengthen child protection systems and make schools safer. “These systems and environments must be reinforced to prevent future tragedies. No child should be put at risk while pursuing an education,” the agency stated.
