The school principal, Musa Rabi Magaji, confirmed that the first escapee arrived home late on Monday. Another student managed to flee immediately after the raid and was not taken.
“They are safe and sound,” Magaji told The Associated Press.
A video verified by AP shows the two schoolgirls, appearing to be in their early teens, surrounded by family members in the village.
The attack prompted an immediate response from security forces. The Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, ordered troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA to intensify their efforts in the search and rescue mission for the abducted students in Kebbi State.
Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, visited the school on Monday, promising swift action to rescue the girls. Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, directed “intelligence-driven operations and relentless day-and-night pursuit of the abductors,” adding, “We must find these children. Act decisively and professionally on all intelligence. Success is not optional.”
Families in Maga recounted the predawn attack with shock and grief. Resident Abdulkarim Abdullahi said he overheard the gunfire from his home.
“I was at home when I suddenly heard gunshots from the school. We were told that the attackers entered the school on many motorcycles,” he said.
Amina Hassan, wife of the school vice principal, Hassan Yakubu Makuku—who was killed by the gunmen—described the attack on her husband.
“Three of them entered and asked my husband, ‘Are you Malam Hassan?’ He responded, ‘Yes, I am.’ They told him that they were there to kill him.”
On Tuesday evening, President Bola Tinubu sent Vice President Kashim Shettima to Kebbi State to meet with the grieving families of the schoolgirls abducted from a boarding school in Maga. He also promised that the government is working to ensure their safe and swift return.
While PUNCH Online cannot independently verify the reports as of press time on Tuesday night, our correspondent reports that efforts are underway to reach the state’s police command.
The Kebbi raid is part of a broader pattern of insecurity in northern Nigeria, where bandits and former herders frequently clash with farming communities, targeting schools, travellers, and remote villages. The remaining abducted girls are still unaccounted for as security teams continue their search.
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