Danko-Wasagu, Nigeria – November 18, 2025 | In a chilling echo of past mass kidnappings, 25 schoolgirls were abducted from their boarding school in northwestern Nigeria. In a recent development, one of the kidnapped girls has managed to escape captivity and return home.

🚨 What Happened in Kebbi State

· The Attack: In the early hours of Monday, November 17, armed gunmen stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State. The assailants, reportedly armed with sophisticated weapons and using motorcycles, engaged police personnel in a gunfight before scaling the school’s perimeter fence.
· Casualties: The school’s vice principal, Hassan Yakubu Makuku, was killed while trying to protect the students. Another staff member sustained gunshot injuries and is receiving treatment.
· The Abduction: The gunmen seized 25 female students directly from their hostel dormitory.

✅ Latest Development: An Escape

On Tuesday, November 18, the school’s principal, Musa Rabi Magaji, confirmed that one of the 25 abducted students has escaped. The girl fled through the surrounding forests and arrived home safely late on Monday evening, just hours after the kidnapping occurred. Another student, who was not initially counted among the 25 abducted, also escaped during the immediate aftermath of the attack.

🔍 The Response and Ongoing Crisis

· Search and Rescue: Nigerian authorities have launched a coordinated search and rescue operation. Additional police tactical units, soldiers, and local vigilante groups have been deployed to comb suspected escape routes and surrounding forests.
· A National Crisis: This incident is the latest in a devastating pattern of mass school abductions in northern Nigeria. Since the infamous 2014 Chibok kidnapping, where 276 schoolgirls were taken by Boko Haram, at least 1,700 children have been abducted by armed groups. These gangs, often called “bandits,” primarily carry out kidnappings for ransom, exploiting the limited security presence in the region.

This story is developing. The Pan African News Report will continue to provide updates as the search for the remaining 24 girls continues.