Twenty-four of the schoolgirls abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State have regained their freedom, following days of intense rescue efforts and coordinated security operations. The students were kidnapped on November 17, 2025, when armed bandits stormed the school in the early hours of the morning, breaching the perimeter fence and attacking the dormitories. The assailants killed the school’s vice principal during the assault before taking the students away into the nearby forest.
Confirming their release on Tuesday, government officials disclosed that the freed girls are currently being transported to the Government House in Birnin Kebbi for medical evaluation, psychological support, and formal debriefing. Sources involved in the rescue operation revealed that the release was facilitated through non-kinetic strategies involving the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, and local mediators who engaged the abductors.
Security forces, including military units, police tactical teams, and local vigilante groups, had been combing the forests in a joint effort to track the kidnappers and secure the safe return of the students. Two of the abducted girls had earlier escaped from captivity.
Vice President Kashim Shettima and President Bola Tinubu had both assured the public that the government would deploy all available resources to ensure the girls’ rescue. Their release comes as relief to anxious parents and community members who have endured a harrowing week of uncertainty.
Authorities say efforts are ongoing to ensure the safe return of the remaining student initially reported missing and to strengthen school security across the region.
