One Student Safely Home After School Kidnapping in Nigeria as Search for Others Continues

A schoolgirl who was among the twenty five students abducted from their dormitories in northwestern Nigeria on Monday has managed to escape and return home safely, offering a rare moment of relief amid a year marked by rising attacks on schools. Armed groups have been targeting schoolchildren in Nigeria for more than a decade, but authorities say incidents have surged again in recent months.

According to the school’s principal, Musa Rabi Magaji, the student arrived home late Monday, only hours after gunmen stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in the early morning darkness. The attack began around four in the morning local time, when armed men broke into the hostels, forcing dozens of students out at gunpoint before disappearing into nearby forested areas.

Magaji confirmed that another student, who was not among those initially listed as abducted, also escaped in the immediate aftermath of the attack. The school remains in shock following the violence, which left vice principal Hassan Yakubu Makuku dead and another staff member injured. Local authorities say the wounded staff member is receiving treatment and is expected to recover.

Security forces have launched a search and rescue operation, although officials acknowledge that tracking armed groups in the region’s difficult terrain poses major challenges. Many of the assailants operate in remote forest hideouts and often move abducted victims quickly across state borders. The government of Kebbi State, where the attack took place, has appealed for calm while urging residents to report any information that could assist security agencies.

Nigeria has faced a long running threat from extremist groups and criminal gangs that carry out mass kidnappings for ransom. The trend gained international attention in twenty fourteen with the abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok, but smaller scale raids have continued across several northern states since then. Observers say economic hardship, limited policing capacity and the spread of armed bandit groups have contributed to the recent increase in violence.

Parents of the missing girls gathered outside the school on Tuesday, hoping for updates as security personnel combed the area. Community leaders have called for stronger protection for rural schools, saying repeated attacks have left families fearful of sending their children to class. Some schools have been forced to close temporarily in recent months due to persistent threats.

Officials say the safe return of the escaped student has renewed determination to rescue the remaining abducted girls. Local authorities and federal agencies have promised to intensify their efforts and are coordinating with community volunteers and neighbouring states to track the kidnappers.